<p>My sister had a lymph node removed for biopsy as an outpatient earlier this week (and found out yesterday it was benign, a great relief). But she thinks that someone other than her doctor may have done the surgery…just as she was put under, she saw a different person don surgical scrubs. She had talked to her (unscrubbed) doctor just before the procedure, and the doctor talked to me in the waiting room right after. </p>
<p>Is this possible? Would she have had to sign a release? It is not a teaching hospital.</p>
<p>I’m not a doctor, nurse, lawyer, etc. I don’t have an answer as to whether it’s possible, but if I were wondering, I’d ask the doctor. If I don’t feel comfortable asking the doctor, it’s a sign that I should have a different doctor. </p>
<p>Ask the doc. But anesthesia can cause unclear memories, so she may have seen a nurse, or the anesthesiologist or even her own surgeon (did she see this different person and her doc at the same time - or was it him and she didn’t notice it was actually him?),. There can be all kinds of explanations.</p>
<p>My sister was resolved to ask the doctor, but perhaps she put it aside in relief of the good result. I’m sure she would have if follow-up had been warranted. I’ll talk to her again and find out if she did ask.</p>
<p>My initial reaction was total disbelief, given the alternative scenarios y’all have shared, but the details my sister supplied about timing and dress (I’ve summarized) were pretty convincing.</p>
<p>And I guess I still wonder if this happens without explicit agreement/knowledge of the patient?</p>
<p>How is that “convincing”? First assistants (the person who hands the surgeon the instruments, often closes afterwards, etc.) and surgical techs also scrub in. They would look absolutely no different to the patient than the doctor.</p>
<p>I don’t know who performed the surgery, but what you have described is in no way convincing to me (O.R. circulating nurse) that ANYTHING untoward or suspicious occurred or that anyone else performed the surgery.</p>
<p>Surgery is not a one-man job, and different people are responsible for different sections. It is possible that (for example) she saw a nurse or doctor (already scrubbed) getting ready to do the final surgical preparations while her actual surgeon went to scrub. It is also possible, likely even, that after the surgeon removed the lymph node that another surgeon closed while the primary came out to discuss the surgery.</p>
<p>Sure, it’s possible. Not necessarily a problem at all. I know a young doctor who was on a residency internship did the colonoscopy. I later learned a 2nd surgeon in the practice did the main aspects of an emergency procedure I had, with the supposed primary assisting. Seeing someone don scrubs is zero indication. </p>
<p>I had this biopsy done last week. My doctor performed the act, and she was not in scrubs. The anesthesiologist and the nurse were, though. I was awake throughout.</p>
<p>^^^I think the OP is not talking about scrubs, but surgical scrubs, i.e., someone has “scrubbed in” and is donning sterile scrubs in preparation for being involved in the sterile field, or surgery, which caused her sister to question who was doing the surgery. I wear “scrubs” as a RN in the OR, but I am not “scrubbed in” and wearing sterile garb because I am not working in the sterile field.</p>
<p>–An anesthesiologist, a nurse-anesthesiologist, and a nurse all came by before the surgery to introduce themselves and do their things, suggesting they would be in the OR. Doctor came by too.</p>
<p>–I’m probably using the word scrubs wrong…each of the people we saw did have hospital-green loose tops and pants. However, she saw a different woman (all players here are women except the nurse!) being gowned (probably wrong word also) and covering her hair just before she went out.</p>
<p>From all the helpful responses, it sounds like various scenarios are possible. I’m inclined to think the critical parts of the procedure were performed by the doctor.</p>
<p>@bookworm…Hope your procedure went well. DSister didn’t have the option of being awake. Interesting that your doctor wasn’t in scrubs…during her pre-op visit, sister met specifically with one person who spoke about all their practices to minimize infection. Other than rubber gloves, neither of us observed them being done pre/op, or recovery. Didn’t even see hand sanitizer.</p>
People generally wear scrubs for one or both of the following reasons: either they see a reasonable chance of getting body fluids (or similar) on them, or else it serves as a uniform. A doctor outside of a hospital more likely uses their white coat as a uniform, and may feel confident in their ability to perform certain simple procedures without contaminating themselves.</p>
<p>A first assistant would not necessarily come by beforehand to talk to the patient. </p>
<p>Someone who is putting their hair in a net in the OR is NOT scrubbed in. Anyone involved with the sterile field will put hair net, mask, and shoe guards on outside of the OR. THEN they scrub, then they dry their hands according to protocol. The last things they do are insert their arms into sterile gowns according to protocol, leaving their hands balled up inside the sleeves. Gloves are attached to the sleeves and hands emerge into them from inside the gown. </p>
<p>What you are describing sounds like the circulating RN. They may wear a gown, but they are NOT sterile, and they are not involved in the actual surgery. This also could have been an observer, but no surgeon is putting their hair into a net in the same time frame as gowning up. That makes no sense. In our OR, we don’t enter the OR until our hair is covered, shoes are covered, and mask is on.</p>
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<p>In pre-op, there would not need to be any great interventions aside from washing hands or using hand sanitizers and gloving up before starting the IV. Various kinds of cleansing of the site will be done prior to inserting the IV. Some use alcohol pads, others will use other similar products. Hand sanitizers are often placed just outside of the room, so the patient might not even see them. You use sanitizer before you enter, and you use it again as you leave. </p>
<p>In recovery, we might have our hair nets on, but again, other than washing or sanitizing before and after caring for the patient, and wearing gloves, there would be no special interventions. If there was a gaping, open wound after surgery, of course that would mandate additional precautions. </p>
<p>What specifically were you hoping to see in these areas which was not done?</p>
