Blog #5

 After spending time at the Cleveland Clinic, I drove to one of the University Hospitals in Geauga. I was able to shadow a urogynecologist surgeon. Many of the urogynecologist surgeries that day were to help the bladder function properly. The women presented with complaints of incontinence and prolapse for years. Many women explained prolapse feels like sitting on a grapefruit. Prolapse does not always have to be fixed with surgery, and in some cases, a pessary helps with the discomfort, but a pronounced prolapse does require surgery. The surgeons used an internal sling to prevent prolapse and improve the quality of life for the women. I enjoyed watching the urogynecologists operate because they used many different interesting instruments. Including the sling, the doctors used a scope (camera) to see inside their patient and observe the bladder function. There were many different screens in the operating room that allowed me to see the video from the scope. Comparing my experience with the c-section and prolapse surgeries, there were a lot fewer people and moving pieces in the operating room. At the fire department and observing the c-section, I learned that I liked the controlled chaos/fast-paced environments those experiences had to offer. I found the minimally invasive and meticulous surgery that the urogynecologist surgeons did fascinating, but being a firefighter and obstetric/gynecologist doctor comes with the surprises of never knowing when there is an emergency or never knowing when a baby is going to be ready to be delivered. The experiences at the Shaker Heights Fire Department, Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospitals proved to me that I like being in the operating room, but I also like the thrill of working in emergencies. Overall, these experiences have opened my eyes to the field of emergency medicine, and I am very excited to continue to learn about that field.

(I was not able to take pictures in the operating room, so this graphic shows what a sling to fix prolapse looks like)

https://www.google.com/search?q=prolapse+sling&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS810US810&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq-6f3uor4AhX8nI4IHYx7AwIQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1280&bih=530&dpr=1.5#imgrc=_zyB7mYazJTVXM&imgdii=mePO-hPVZp0jUM

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