UMC Shadowing Day 2 (7/15) || Aiden Asari

Hello, hello!! Today is Day 2 of shadowing at UMC Hospital. I woke up bright and early at 6:00 a.m. for breakfast and to get ready. To be honest, I’m still pretty jet-lagged—it’s only our third day in Vietnam. I even woke up before my alarm! I was especially excited for shadowing today because I was going to observe orthopedic surgery. I’ve never shadowed a surgery before, so I had no idea what to expect. We took the bus to the hospital and got into our groups. Shout-out to Bill, Bao, Clara, Karen, and Anh; they were awesome groupmates.

We began shadowing by visiting the cardiac patients’ floor. At first, the doctor was hesitant to let us into the surgery rooms. Thankfully, thanks to Anh and Bao’s excellent Vietnamese, they were able to convince him. He told us to come back around 2 p.m. After a great lunch, we returned, and Alex joined our group! When it was time, we scrubbed in and put on these super-cool green Crocs. In the first operating room, we were told to stay at least one meter away from the sterile field. The first thing I noticed was the smell. Cauterized blood is definitely a sensation you won’t forget. The patient was covered in so many blue drapes that they were almost unrecognizable; the only visible part was an open, bloody knee. The doctor showed us the X-rays, which revealed a broken femur. He introduced us to the surgeons and staff, all of whom were very friendly. We took turns standing on a stool to get a better view of the operation. Soon after, we had to leave so they could take additional X-rays of the patient.

The next operating room was already mid-procedure. Again, we had to keep our distance. Our doctor showed us the X-rays and explained the surgery: a total knee arthroplasty (TKA), or knee replacement. This procedure is common in older patients whose knee cartilage has worn down, causing the bones to grind against each other, which leads to pain and discomfort. In my opinion, this surgery was more intense, there was sawing and drilling directly into the knee, and we could even see parts of the bone exposed. TKAs are relatively quick, taking about an hour and a half. We arrived halfway through and stayed until they stapled the skin closed. Afterwards, our doctor took us to the pre-op room, where patients are prepared for surgery. This was where we said goodbye to him. He had other important work to attend to. We got a nice group photo together (he even added a filter before sharing it). Even though he had to leave, he told us we could continue shadowing in the rooms he’d introduced us to.

By then, the broken femur patient’s X-rays were done, so we returned to watch the rest of that surgery. The doctors were once again incredibly friendly and welcoming. Before leaving, we caught the start of another TKA. This one was different because we saw the patient being wheeled in and watched all the prep work as the doctors draped them. Once the sawing and drilling began, I had a more visceral reaction, it was easier to imagine the patient underneath all those drapes. Unfortunately, we had to leave early, but we technically saw one full TKA from start to finish, which was fascinating to experience. We scrubbed out and headed back.

Overall, it was an amazing day. I learned so much from the doctors and from observing firsthand. You truly can’t imagine these procedures without seeing them in person. I also became much closer with my group members. A big thank-you to Bao and Anh for translating the whole time and convincing the doctor to let us observe. I’m excited for the rest of the shadowing days and the rest of the trip, and I hope to have many more wonderful experiences and interactions ahead.