My Day Under the (Surgical) Lights

It started, or so I thought, with a bout of food poisoning. Felt quite uncomfortable on a Wednesday evening after eating a hamburger I had grilled. Debated in my head if it was growing serious enough to head to the ER, but it faded and was quickly forgotten. A couple of days later, I awoke to the pain once more. The upper, right side of my diaphragm was the source and more serious than the previous incident. An ER visit confirmed my quick Google search that it was likely my gallbladder. A surgical consult, several more attacks, and another ER visit had me in for emergency surgery to remove the offending organ.

As this experience marked my first serious hospital visit since single digits and my first surgery, I had not had the “benefit” of observing a hospital from the patient perspective. As a result (coupled with the years spent reporting on medtech), I was keenly aware of the technologies that surrounded me. 

First, I’d be remiss if I didn’t note just how wonderful the staff was at both medical centers. My first ER visit occurred out of state while my second one was local. Each time, staff was excellent. From the guy who rolled me to imaging to the ER doctor who diagnosed my condition, everyone was professional, courteous, attentive, and caring. I’m thrilled I’m able to help support these care workers, even in the small role I play.

The first thing I observed was just how tethered I was and how inconvenient that was for me as the patient, but also for my healthcare attendants. A visit to the bathroom required an unhooking of several items, including my IV, my two pulse ox sensors (one was triggering alarms so they clipped another onto a different finger), and some cardio sensors (I guessed gallbladder pain and a heart attack can present similarly as they performed an EKG on me at the start of each ER visit). Adjusting myself in bed, I felt I had to be careful so as to not disconnect from anything important to my care (I couldn’t tell you what was critical and what wasn’t). 

While I realize we can’t have untethered IV delivery, the pulse-ox sensors and the EKG pads would have been so much more manageable had they been wireless. Not sure what the engineering issue is here (or perhaps these facilities were simply unable to make the investment), but wireless sensing is something that certainly needs to advance. I imagine it would make healthcare workers’ lives easier, but would also improve the patient’s experience as well. 

However, this leads to another issue I encountered. From the sensor pads that did connect to wires, I still have remnants of adhesive at spots. I’ve washed several times with soap and water, I’ve taken showers, and yet, there are spots of adhesive that still remain. Sure, it’s a minor issue, and it’s important for these sensors to stay attached, but I’ve been to tradeshows where an adhesive provider is showing off a good quality adhesive that is easily removed after use. 

Another observation I made was with regard to the aforementioned pulse-ox sensors. As I said, one kept throwing an alert due to low oxygen. To be fair, I was given morphine for pain, and I know that can impact breathing, so pulse-ox is important to monitor. Also, it didn’t take long for my wife to figure out what alarm it was and why it was going off, which she shared with me. When I heard the alarm, I would take several deep breaths to clear it. So perhaps the alarm worked as intended; however, I’m unsure I would have realized that if I was still in pain (or cared) or if I was alone in the ER. Not sure what the answer here is other than to say that alerts and alarms on medical devices aren’t only for the benefit of medical professionals. 

A final realization came during my recovery. With pain from the incisions (laparoscopic procedure), I was unsure if any of it was due to infection. There was redness around my incisions but was it an acceptable level of redness? Granted, I didn’t have any other symptoms associated with infection, but I was also unfamiliar with the appearance of an adhesive surgical sealant instead of stitches or staples. While imaging and AI are developing rapidly, an app that helps detect infection is likely not something being given much focus. For one, I was admittedly looking for a free solution; who’s paying for such an app for a presumably one-time (or limited) use? Also, can I trust the app? Challenges certainly exist for this type of technology. 

Overall, my first surgical experience has been positive. Hopefully, it will be some time before another such incident. At that time, I’ll be sure to offer an update on these aspects.

Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief
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