Many times we forget that as surgeons and those responsible for a life we are also human, and in the walls of an operating room as in the walls of a home also gives us sleep, cold, heat, nervousness, hunger and pain. We even get sick and just when we operate the symptoms manifest themselves more forcefully. That's why we always have a complete team to avoid difficulties.

It was a cold morning (or probably so, because of my high temperature of 39º C), I had a sensation of chills and a fever that began to emanate heat from my skin. It was very rare because during the night I had no problem falling asleep. After thinking about it, I made the decision to go to the hospital, because I had scheduled a major surgery and as a patient to a great friend carpenter in the area.

I greeted all my colleagues and the entire team once I finished changing in the dressing rooms and we began surgery on what they passed to the operating room and anesthetized the patient. We prepared and as we dressed the sterile field I had forgotten my fever and started with the scalpel an incision in his hip. After 20 minutes of surgery, proceeding meticulously to perform a high class technique in a major surgery I began to feel an excessive heat that began to discomfort me and my pulse hesitated on some occasions. It became evident after 15 minutes when my assistant looks at me and asks me if something is wrong. I didn't want to admit it but I told him about my symptoms since the morning and when I saw myself biased in the last steps I gave him the command to be the main surgeon and me the assistant. On the other hand, a team was operating at the same time on the hand for another metacarpal fracture and after listening to the conversation with my assistant they asked me if I needed any replacement. Of course... I refused!

We were finishing and doing the x-rays to check that the implant was correctly placed and at that moment a strong headache was anchored right in the front between that space between the forehead and the root of the nose as if wanting to escape like a cascade in the shape of a spine. Two seconds went by and obsessed I had to let go of the instruments and tell the instrumentalist to replace me.

My assistant (who was now the lead surgeon) saw me with great concern, and although I could only see her eyes because of the mask she wore, I could decipher the impression of great surprise at seeing me. So I asked to be supplanted and immediately came out trembling and helped by the nurses who took care of me with a lot of encouragement.

As soon as I could get to the dressing room I had to vomit in the bathroom and then go to bed for a good time to get better with a treatment. I understood that now the patient was me and I could see how the carpenter we just operated on asked me who was waking from his anesthesia. Are you all right Doctor? I could barely smile thinking about the irony of the question and I answered...

Not as good as your friend has left. But I'm sure I'll get over it.

We met a week later and remembered that anecdote with laughter.

If you need recommendations or help in orthopedic surgery and traumatology do not hesitate to contact me.

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