2J Give short information on the following issues.

• Definition of “surgery”

• Main controlling factors of surgery

• The main principles of operative intervention

• Preparation for an operation

3jThe following conditions require surgical intervention. Using the prompts tell the patients what their condition is and why they need surgery. Give a clear view of the problem but do not alarm the person unnecessarily.

Example:

Appendicitis. This very bad pain you’ve got is probably caused by acute appendicitis. Appendicitis means inflammation of the vermiform appen­dix, acute means we should deal with it as quickly as possible. The ap­pendix is a small tube shaped like a small finger attached to the large in­testine. It is not an essential organ and you may live happily without it. We do not fully understand why it becomes inflamed and infected, but when this inflammation is not treated, the appendix may rupture, that is burst, and cause a life-threatening infection. Surgery is the main treatment and it should be done without delay. The surgeon will open your abdomen and remove the appendix. With an early operation the chances are really good, but for a ruptured appendix, the prognosis is more serious. The operation will be done under a general anesthetic, so you’ll be unconscious and won’t feel any pain. Is there anything else you’d like to know?

Acute cholecystitis

• What is the gall bladder and where is it situated? What role does it have? Is it absolutely essential?

• What are the causes of cholecystitis? (gallstones)

• Cholecystectomy required: the gall bladder removed in 24—48 h.

• Antibiotic before surgery.

• No complications suspected now, the risk of surgery small.

• After the operation: some discomfort at the surgical site, some flatulence.

Ruptured spleen

• What is the spleen and where is it situated? What role does it have?

• What happens when the spleen ruptures, e.g. as a result of an in­jury from a car accident? (a large volume of blood pours out into the abdomen, life-threatening blood loss)

• Emergency operation; if the rupture is small, it may be repaired, but usually the entire spleen is removed.

• After splenectomy, risk of infections t.

Strangulated inguinal hernia

• What is an inguinal hernia? (a piece of intestine protrudes through an opening in the abdominal wall)

• What does it look like? (a bulge/groin or scrotum)

• What is strangulation? (a piece of the intestine trapped, blood supply to the intestine cut off, the intestine may die — become gangrenous)

• Emergency surgery (the intestine pulled out of the inguinal canal, the opening tightened, hernia shouldn’t recur)

[_4 jHave you ever undergone any surgical intrusion? Tell your groupmates about the cause of the surgery, its type, preoperative and postoperative treatment. Use the exercise above as an example. Then ask your friends about the same.

A Bit of Humour

Absent-minded professor (to a pharmacist): “Give me some prepared monoacetic acid ester of salicylic acid.”

Pharmacist: “Do you mean aspirin?”

Absent-minded professor: “That’s right! 1 can never think of that name!”

More Reading