16 February 2010

Piglab. My fourth or so.

This time a smaller girl. The early folks were measuring the force
to insert a tube, after making a scalpel/razor incision. They forgot
to inflate the pig (laparoscopy) and ended up stabbing the kidney some.

We still got to use the animal, opening it up diaphram to upper legs.
That's a cheat --our instruments are to be used laparoscopically which means inserted into a CO2 inflated lower abdomen. Better for patients and surgeons. But takes skill: these are engineers trying out prototype instruments. So we old-school unzip sternum to below belly button.
Pigs have belly buttons of course.

I asked why they're always girls. The reason is obvious: the penis would get in the way. With the unzipping we're doing. D'oh.

My 10 year old was upset that a surgeon was caught tweeting. But there
is a huge amount of waiting time, sometimes, and the patient is stable.