What the Nurse Really Means when She Says All Surgeons are the Same

I overheard a conversation between a nurse and a patient at the cataract clinic.

Patient:” Nurse, are you sure the surgeon who is going to operate on me next week is good? Can you ask a good one to operate on me?”

Nurse: “All the eye doctors here are the same, they are equally good. No to make choices!”

I looked across the room and noticed it was the same nurse who asked me to operate on her father several years ago. Her father was scheduled to be operated by a senior surgeon but two days before the surgery the senior surgeon fell sick and took a one-week sick leave. Her father was rescheduled to be operated by a different surgeon.

Nurse:” Doc, could you go into the theatre tomorrow to operate on my father?”

I:”I thought doctor X is going to do the operation!”

Nurse:”But I am scared that the result would be bad.”

I:”How do you know?”

Nurse: “I have seen his operations, he is very rough with the patients and has lots of complications.”

I:”But I would upset him if I went in during his list, I am sure you can find some excuses to delay the operation until the senior surgeon returns.”

The nurse duly informed the doctor in-charge of the operating list that her father had persistent cough and could not have operation the next day.

Lessons:

1. Not all surgeons are the same, the nurses know best even if they don’t want to say it.

2. While it is complimentary to be regarded as a better surgeon, never upset your colleague by taking away his/her patient.

3. For elective surgery, there is no need to compromise on outcomes by subjecting your loved one to less able hands.