Week 2- Julie

My second week was just as exciting as my first. I had the opportunity to learn from a variety of surgeries. I saw an ileostomy closure and sigmoidoscopy, which are procedures dealing with the intestines. This was interesting because it is a very common procedure for people suffering from colon cancer. The use of technology in this surgery was exciting. To view inside of the patient’s intestines they used a flexible camera and I saw on the screen how the surgeon could navigate it to observe for any nodules. They also used special stapling devices to re-form the intestinal tube structure. I also observed an ambulatory surgery, which means the patients are outpatients and can go home that same day. It was interesting to compare the level of calm in this wing compared to the third-floor in-patient surgery hall. The patient was awake and wanted to see the surgery, so this provided a different dynamic. 

Another surgery I observed was the removal of a larynx and a mass in the neck. They also pulled the peck flap muscle from under the breast tissue into the neck area to provide healthy non-cancerous tissue in this area. I observed how the surgeon noted the mass on MRI, how they performed the procedure, as well as the treatment with radiation stitches. It was disturbing because I had to wear protective leads, but they sewed these sutures into the woman’s neck. The technology was interesting, but the prognosis quite poor since the cancer had recurred in the neck three times now. But it was heart-warming to see in practice how strong the human character is in fighting disease and the dedication of her surgeons to her recovery.

I also visited patients in office hours as well as rounds. Seeing patients is a unique opportunity because you never know what you are walking into. Sometimes it’s a breast cancer patient who is going to have a mastectomy and wants the plastic surgeon to replace the breast tissue. I also spoke with a burn patient, whose hands and body were severely injured in a house fire, but he was determined to return to almost full function. These moods were positive. Other times you walk into a situation where someone has had three cancers, the entire family is there, and it is quite serious. This reminds me that surgeons and doctors have to handle not only the medical aspect, but the reassurance and confidence they present is equally as important. Next week I am observing the Emergency Room, so I am sure I will see more of this attitude put into place.

This week I also chose a lab project, and learned basic skills that I will need to complete it. I decided to work on a project where a sacrificial polymer creates a microvascular channel in a collagen scaffold. I will try a new method to seed the vascular cells in this scaffold, allow the cells to grow, and then observe their morphology using histology. I learned how to make the scaffolds, make the microfiber, and how to stain H&E histology slides. Next week I hope to start the project and put these techniques into action! I also attended lab meeting and learned about the other projects going on in the lab, as well as collaborations they have with labs in Ithaca. We also attended an ethics lecture, which was really interesting. It became more a discussion of how we see ethics, what it means to have medical ethics, and how to apply this in research. I am glad we had this opportunity, because now I can approach these studies from a new light.