Monday.
Early start. A very nasty cancer case in the NHS. The tumour was growing through the skin and up to the bottom of the skull. The medical students had a great anatomy lesson as we took out the whole tumour, skin and surrounding tissue. The plastic surgeons then came in and reconstructed the whole area, including the facial nerve, which makes the face move. Afterwards went for a pint with my senior trainee, then home for spag bolognese.
Tuesday
Early start again, 6 operations, 2 laser uvulectomies for catarrh, throat clearing, 2 nose unblockings, again using the laser for part of the surgery, a total thyroidectomy for multinodiular goitre, and a microlaryngoscopy and laser biopsy for a voice box tumour. Good news, both vocal cords were working normally at the end of the thyroid op, and the calcium levels werent affected, as I had managed to preserve the parathyroid glands, something which is not always possible, with the best will in the world.
Afternoon clinic, busy again, quite a few catarrh patients coming through. One chap was still a bit stuffy 4 weeks after nose unblocking surgery. Thankfully it all looked good, the stitch inside was just taking longer than usual to dissolve. 2 of my secretaries came along after for a business meeting. Went for a pint with them afterwards, then home for baked potato beans and cheese, and home made jam roly poly.
Afternoon clinic, busy again, quite a few catarrh patients coming through. One chap was still a bit stuffy 4 weeks after nose unblocking surgery. Thankfully it all looked good, the stitch inside was just taking longer than usual to dissolve. 2 of my secretaries came along after for a business meeting. Went for a pint with them afterwards, then home for baked potato beans and cheese, and home made jam roly poly.
Wednesday
The start of my paternity leave, the baby is due in 2 days. I still went in for the morning, there was a lot of normal admin to catch up on. Had a coffee with two of my consultant colleagues, then home. Off to Brighton for fish and chips on the seafront, and to pick up a baby changing unit. In the evening I took one of the theatre sisters I work with out for dinner, with 2 of her colleagues. She was retiring after many years service. Nothing else was planned for her.
Thursday – A Day Off !
Friday
Started today at 10, a minor procedure, ear suction for wax, on a premier league footballer. He scored the next day, so Im taking credit for it. Then a nose unblocking operation on another premier league footballer, laser turbinoplasty, then another of the same operation on a chap with sleep apnoea and snoring. Both went well, they were home 8 hours post op so they have the weekend to recover, back to training/work on Monday. Then a clinic, quite quiet, a lot of ear wax suction being done at the moment, before people go away on winter breaks. My old fellow from last night, whose bleeding nose I had packed then sent home, came back. Great result, there had been no more bleeding, he had slept well, and looked much better. This sort of thing really knocks elderly people’s confidence. Was able to re-cauterise with silver nitrate sticks. At the end I was able to tell him I was pretty sure there would be no more bleeding, and that he should go out for dinner that night – he had cancelled a number of evenings due to his fear of having an embarassing bleed. Another 9 year old child who needed his tonsils lasering, and several other cases with general ENT problems. Was finished by 330, so I went to meet hundreds of other ENT surgeons at the December Royal Society of Medicine meeting. This was followed by a few drinks at The American bar of the Savoy Hotel, then home.
Saturday
I dont normally work on Saturdays, but a special case was going on. The UK’s first Da Vinci robotic removal of throat cancer. My colleague from another hospital had asked me to go along to help. Completely fascinating, Im a convert, and really think this machine can help my patients, including some non-cancer ones, perhaps to reduce the lingual tonsils in sleep apnoea patients. I wasnt paid for this, but it was worth its weight in gold. Finished at 4, and went off to meet my mother and father for dinner.
Thanks for the post.
It was really helpful to solve my confusion.
Occupational Medicine