Cardiovascular surgery is one of the most complicated medical procedures in the history of medicine because it involves interfering with the vessels that naturally carry blood to and from the heart. However, compared to the past, a significant percentage of individuals successfully undergo cardiovascular procedures with negligible post-surgery issues. Therefore, I appreciated the opportunity to learn about invasive monitoring of cardiothoracic anesthetic in the induction room as part of our program curricula. Regardless of the advanced technology and wealth of research on the most efficient techniques to operate on blood vessels, invasive monitoring issues are bound to occur. They might happen during the diagnostic or treatment phases, meaning that some patients do not leave the operation room. Although vascular insufficiency is the most common contraindication in connecting arterial lines, uncontrollable bleeding and infections during the dressing stage can result in adversities. As such, my professional placement revealed why taking strict precautions and risk mitigation strategies is crucial when dealing with surgical patients.
Although the experience of working in a real-life medical setting was thrilling, it was tense since the unique way of communicating with patients and the contraindications in connecting arterial lines and putting on the dressing. Surgical rooms and emergency departments are high-pressure environments that require being always alert since the slightest mistake can result in adversities (Saugel & Vincent, 2018). During my placement, my mentor showed me how to correctly connect an arterial line and central line and the risks involved with misplacement. This experience gave me the opportunity to learn about the value of collaboration and information sharing during surgical procedures to avoid confusion. This aspect in particularly concerned with interaction with patients, whose moral training plays an important role in the treatment process.
Nevertheless, the experience that altered my perspective on medicine is the interaction I had with a patient in the induction room when he was just about to be rolled into invasive monitoring surgery. The selected example is when I was preparing the patient for the procedure, he confided in me and told me that his life was in my hands. However, I managed to calm the patient by talking about the effectiveness and safety of invasive monitoring and contraindications in connecting arterial lines. After the conversation, he felt at ease, as he was fully educated on this topic and could assess everything sensibly. This instance showed how it is necessary for medical specialists to share information with their patients to safeguard and calm them.
At that moment, the primary learning that came from the experience was that any error by the surgical experts could potentially harm the patient and subject, causing several people to untimely suffering. Therefore, unsatisfactory invasive monitoring can cause more procedures and medical involvement than before. Moreover, I realized the vital role of communicating and explaining possible risks or the absence of it to people to obtain more effective work results. Cardiovascular and invasive monitoring surgery patients are exposed to several dangers because of the complexity of the process and the number of individuals involved (Saugel & Vincent, 2018). Thus, it is crucial to provide appropriate procedures and communication starting from the beginning of the treatment process for improvement.
This work concluded that medical specialists should prioritize all the procedures involved in the invasive monitoring of cardiothoracic anesthetics in the induction and surgical room because these processes are crucial to successful surgery. My experience showed that medical practitioners should familiarize themselves and patients with medical error reduction and risk mitigation strategies. These can include effective communication, brainstorming before surgical procedures, critical evaluations, and alternative solutions to surgery. Consequently, they will be better positioned to manage patients and promise a healthy life after the operation. The lives of several individuals lay in the accuracy and reliability of these procedures. Therefore, taking the necessary precautions to limit negative outcomes is advisable.
Reference
Saugel, B., & Vincent, J. L. (2018). Cardiac output monitoring: How to choose the optimal method for the individual patient. Current Opinion in Critical Care, 24(3), 165-172.