Perry Katsarakes / Dr. Rohit Chandwani - Week 6

 This week, I continued my experiences with Dr. Chandwani in both the clinic and the OR. In a grueling 12-hour day at the OR, I first watched Dr. Chandwani complete another laparoscopic pancreatectomy, and then was privileged to observe my first open surgery, a second pancreatectomy that (due to the size and location of the tumor, alongside other factors) could not be performed laparoscopically. I was quite surprised by a variety of things throughout the course of this surgery; first and foremost, as it was my first time seeing the internal organs of a living person, I couldn't believe how mobile everything was! Each organ was pulsing and shifting, and were not locked in a consistent and stable framework as anatomical images had led me to believe. In fact, the surgeons and fellows would frequently pick organs up and move them aside or even hang them over the edges of the incision onto the patient's stomach in order to better access the tumor. I had no idea this was common practice and was shocked to say the least! I also wasn't expecting how rough the surgery would be; I've always imagined the internal organs to be extremely fragile and highly susceptible to damage, but they were put through the gauntlet over the many hours of the pancreatectomy, being shoved around, clamped by metal vices, sliced, burnt by heated clamps, cauterized, stapled, and stitched back together after resections. Apparently all of these things are standard and the patients recover from them just fine, so it's clear that the body and its viscera are much more robust than I thought! 

While the surgeries were certainly exciting, I also enjoyed my time at the clinic again; it's always a pleasure to watch how Dr. Chandwani so expertly navigates patient interactions. This week, I watched multiple patients describe him as a savior, a hero, proclaim their love for him, and one even offered him an expensive gift as thanks. It's clear that he puts a great deal of effort into caring for and following up with his patients, making sure they're comfortable, informed, and above all, as healthy as he can help them to be before, during, and after their treatment.

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