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ryanveilleux1 t1_j1y5ifb wrote

The nurses and scrubs rotate out for lunch and breaks and shift change; CRNAs too. The surgeons usually will stay in the whole time, no food, no drinks, no breaks. But it’s usually rare to have a case last that long, but I’ve seen poly trauma run longer than 12 hours and some big OMFS cases run long too.

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Sylvurphlame t1_j1z93ti wrote

The poor dude running the fluoroscopy might have to stay there the whole time. Source: I’m that dude. My personal record is about 9 hours, although I took a couple quick pee breaks. (Busy day so no longer term relief available.)

I’ve also seen a few cases where a partner comes in to relive the attending on particularly long spine cases. I’ve seen a couple 10-12 hour cases. I don’t have personal experience with those legendary 16-24+ hour traumas though.

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Red_Icnivad t1_j1y6qnr wrote

No drinks? Does the surgeon not even get a chance to have someone hold a juice box to their face? Or is that more likely to make them have to unite, which would take them away for longer.

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Mr_Zaroc t1_j1yepy3 wrote

Uniting urinating is an interesting topic, I can't imagine they can't do without for hours on end, but then again the whole suiting up etc. is time consuming
Would also like to know how they work around it

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Fedekz3215 t1_j1yx6xl wrote

You pee shortly before going to the OR so you're usually good for a few hours. There's a "first assist" which is usually a resident or PA scrubbed in helping. In long procedures there can be tedious dissecting so the attending can break scrub and go urinate or eat a quick snack while the resident keeps working. Only takes a minute or less to scrub in these days (Avagard replaced the old 4 minute scrubbing, and the scrub tech will have your gown and gloves ready for you) so that's not a barrier at all.

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kazin29 t1_j1yjxgo wrote

They don't excrete. It's not uncommon for surgeons to develop kidney and back issues from operating.

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Bosno t1_j1z2m19 wrote

Surgeons take short breaks too. During non critical points in the surgery, the surgeon might step out while the resident continues.

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gu_doc t1_j1zgp88 wrote

Or just straight up take a break and there’s a pause in surgery. The surgeon needs nourishment and a mental break to do their best surgery and make good decisions. I have seen (and participated in) breaks of 10-15 minutes to go to the bathroom, eat, and let your brain rest a little while the patient is on the table with nobody working

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thedavecan t1_j1zvvfe wrote

I'm a CRNA in a mid sized regional medical center. We only trade out up to a certain point. After 8pm if I'm on call I'm the only anesthesia provider in the OR (we have one dedicated to OB but it has to be an all hands on deck emergency to ask them to come down) and so there's no bathroom breaks after that time. Surgeons, scrubs, and circulators can all scrub out and go pee but anesthesia can't leave the patient unattended, ever. Every facility is different and it's super rare for us to do cases longer than 8-9 hrs here but the potential is always there when you work in the OR.

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Mert_Burphy t1_j20d4v0 wrote

Just curious what happens if you get a case of the need to shits suddenly. I get why you can't leave an anethetized patient alone even for 30 seconds but still..

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thedavecan t1_j20muzq wrote

Hold it. I wish there were any other solution. Desperately hope the OB person isn't busy and can come down and break you for 5 min but they're usually busy. Your bowel habits adjust honestly.

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ryanveilleux1 t1_j214stq wrote

Much respect! I worked at a level 1, all run by CRNAs, the best group of providers I’ve ever seen.

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HobgoblinKhanate t1_j1yqfat wrote

What’s a scrub?

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Idgie-Threadgoode t1_j20lrez wrote

A scrub is a guy who can’t get no love from me, hangin out the passenger side of his best friend’s ride tryin’ to holla at me.

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Sylvurphlame t1_j1zrhoe wrote

You can have nurses scrub in and assist directly with the surgery as the other redditor said.

Also some hospitals will employ surgical technologist “scrub techs” who help the surgeons manage instrumentation and sterile equipment but these techs will not be nurses themselves. The nurses in these cases will just be circulators who document and grab extra supplies and generally keep the room running smoothly.

At my hospital we have several nurses who were originally surg techs and have kept up their credentials. They’ll sub in when needed but we typically have separate scrub techs and circulator nurses.

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