I fondly recall a case I had seen in Gynaecology when I was in my final semester in medical school.
Usually final semester is one of the most toughest and tedious period during a medicos life. It’s that time where all you care about is clearing your exams and clinical knowledge and skills take a backseat.
We had a an 80 year old , mother of four, come into the Gynaec OPD with complaints of abdominal discomfort since few months. On examination she was found to have a very huge abdomen, not keeping up in proportion with the rest of her body as her hands and legs were very lean. She was examined by the HOD who in a matter of half a minute made the diagnosis of an ovarian mass. She was sent for the ultrasound scan of her abdomen but needless to say I didn’t see her back and it was time for me to leave for the afternoon lecture class.
2 days later it was my unit’s elective OT day. I glanced through the operation list for the day and familiarity striked me as I saw her name right on top of the list posted for a Salpingoophorectomy.
Our chief was very adamant that we medical students be present while the case is being done which was something odd as she never entertained us students in the OT much.
The procedure started, the abdomen was opened.I saw a glisteneng structre, something like a tense membrane bulging out as soon as the peritoneum was opened. The surgeon asked to be ready for the suction ans she made a small neat nick onto that glistening strucure and what followed truly mesmerized us all.
Nearly 10 litres of chocolate coloured fluid was drained out. She was housing a huge ovarian cyst in her abdomen which thankfully was benign. Her abdomen had shrunk and finally was in sync with her lean body proprtion.
No doubt as to why our chief ever so lovingly desired our presence in the OT.