This week's gory details

I haven't really put that much detail into the blog on what I do in a usual week's operating. I assume some may be interested, so I have taken this week's log book and put its breakdown below:

• Skin grafting - 1 (it's normally more like 3 or 4)
• Examination under anaesthesia and fistulotomy of anal fistula - 1
• Cervical lymph node biopsy - 2
• Closed manipulation of fracture - 5 (these normally include wrist, elbow, humerus and tibia fractures)
• Incision and drainage of abscess - 6 (all over the body)
• Finger amputation - 1 (for chronic osteomyelitis)
• Wound debridement - 4 (including burns)
• Open reduction and fixation or K-wiring of fractures - 3 (forearm, thumb, elbow)
• Above knee amputation - 1 (infected open fracture of the femur)
• Elective inguinal hernia - 1
• Laparotomy - 1 (extended right hemicolectomy for massive volvulus of transverse colon)
• Removal of foreign body - 1 (needle in the hand)
• Excision of lesion - 2 (keloid of the ear and granuloma of the groin)
• Suturing of wounds - 2 (nailbed and face)

Total - 33 (allowing for some patients to have return trips to theatre) It is a proper old fashioned general surgery set of cases!