A surgical procedure is truly a team effort.

Along with support staff, the patient outcome depends on how well the surgeon and the anesthesiologist work together.

Dr. T provides a fascinating account of the issues that she faces when behind the screen, and indeed, there is a spectrum of surgical personalities she has to deal with.

Although noting that some surgeons have the patient’s best interests at heart, she notes that, “on the whole, though, what I typically see is a lot of exasperation from surgeons whenever a medical condition precludes speedy progress to the O.R. – perhaps because in many hospital systems, these conditions can easily remain undiscovered or unevaluated until right before the scheduled procedure.”

The decision on whether to proceed or cancel surgery can lead to conflict within the OR team, which never benefits the patient. Despite the pressure to proceed with a scheduled operation, and staying on time, in the end, everyone should want the same thing.

As Dr. T puts it, that is “a patient well-cared for.”