The Head of Department (HOD) of Surgery in a medical college in Rajasthan was doing an operation of Lumbar Sympathectomy.
In this operation, a group of nerves, known as Lumbar Sympathetic Chain is removed surgically from its position deep in the abdomen. This increases the blood supply to the skin of the foot and lower leg. The Lumbar Sympathetic chain is frequently confused with other nearby similar structures such as the ureter, psoas tendons, lymph nodes, genito-femoral nerve, etc.
When after much dissection, the HOD had reached the lumbar sympathetic chain, he proudly pointed to the watching junior residents and the interns that, “This is the lumbar sympathetic chain.”
The intern watching the operation asked, “Sir, are you sure it is the sympathetic chain. Can it be not just lymph nodes?” The HOD suddenly became very quiet and finished rest of the operation in silence. After the operation, the removed specimen was sent for pathology laboratory for histological confirmation that it is indeed sympathetic chain nerve tissue.
One week later the pathology report came. The HOD grabbed the report. It confirmed the removed tissue to be indeed sympathetic chain nerve tissue. On reading it the HOD exclaimed with triumph, “It is indeed the lumbar sympathetic chain. Where is that bl**dy intern who was saying it was lymph nodes?”
Such is the field of surgery, where even an intern who is not yet a full-fledged doctor can shake the confidence of even the Head of Department.
(Based on true incident)
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DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost.
DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to MCI and other Board’s norm.
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