Charisa
How do you feel when a patient dies in your hands as a surgeon?
I've heard lots of stories about surgeons and their experience when it comes to operating a patient. I'm curious to know how one would feel after realising that a patient just died while still operating him/her?
#medicine #surgeon #healthcare #doctor
1 answer
Kim Igleheart
Kim’s Answer
Charisa,
I'm not a physician, but, my doctor told me about a time when a patient died on him.
I am not sure what you are looking for in this question. I mean, how do you think they would feel? They will play the situation over and over again in their minds, wondering if there was something they could have done differently. They will not want to face the family. They will be sad. They will be disappointed. These are all normal human reactions.
The important thing is that they cannot let it be something that ends their career. So, just like a police officer who shoots someone, they will learn to deal with it. They will seek counseling help if necessary. And, if it really bothers them, they might change and go into a different type of medicine where they are no longer performing surgery.
As we get older, we learn (hopefully!) to deal with many emotional challenges, and develop coping mechanisms. Life is not easy! But it is interesting and challenging!
Kim
Thank you so much Kim! This really helped me, God bless!
Charisa