Dr. Jeff Swail performing a bi-lateral cleft repair.
For someone who has never been in the OR, in a conscious state, it is intimidating. You are so concerned that you will touch something or bump into a machine providing life to the patient undergoing surgery. That is how I felt on Tuesday morning as I entered. What I found was a more welcoming and extremely interesting place. There were 2 ORs with 2 tables each. So that means that 4 surgeries can be performed at the same time. At each table there was the Uplift surgeon, nurse or PA, anethesiologist, a number of nurses circulating in and out of the room and Filipino doctors and nurses working along side or observing. Every person and machine had their place and function. Uplift volunteers were working side by side with Filipino doctors and nurses and sharing their knowledge and experience with their Filipino counterparts. There was a great energy in the rooms!
I was impressed with how the doctors have come prepared for the long hours in the OR. Surgeries were performed while listening to thier favorite tunes…….from time to time you can catch them tapping their toes and swaying a bit to the “OR beat”.
