Feb 28, 2008 – Day 7
We scarfed down a quick breakfast of hot biscuits with jam… there is something very comforting about warm carb-filled food. Suprisingly we didn’t fall asleep on the ride to the hospital. We got there early to start a pediatric laparoscopy for bilateral undescended testes at 8AM, but we didn’t get going ‘til about 10AM. Here in Nigeria they are on Africa time and things happen at a certain pace, so it is best to relax and go with the flow…
We assisted with multiple VVF and vesico-uterine fistula repairs (all secondary to obstetrical complications). It was very interesting to see the techniques used by Drs. Langmeng and Chima to repair these so called straight forward cases. I would hate to see the complicated cases!!
We also watched a couple of vaginoplasties for FGM. We put our heads together and thought that a buccal graft to augment the dilated vagina might be helpful so we will perform one tomorrow. One of the local gynecologists had a case of a mullerian abnormaility with a shortened vagina which we all agreed likely needed an intrabdominal procedure to bring down the uterus (after some vaginal dilation).
We left the OR well after dark and were back to the guesthouse by around 845 PM. We settled down to a Mexican feast. Sherri was especially excited by the tacos, as she had made the request the previous day. We were tired, so no chichat or Sodoku, and we were off to bed (to the sweet melodies of the local dogs).
Lesson of the Day:
When the OR lighting is dependant on the daylight from the windows, try to finish before dark.
Tim “Blogman” Davies
~Catherine deVries
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