The day started like any other day: early breakfast and a bus ride to the hospital. Once we got to the hospital things turned into controlled chaos as everyone found their place and got set up. The 1st surgeries began at roughly 10:00 am.
The schedule was for 13 surgeries as we only had 2 OR’s. We scheduled the easier, simpler patients first so all the Docs and volunteers could make sure all the systems and procedures worked and were appropriate. The medical team also went over various emergency scenarios with the entire team before the surgeries begin.
Like all surgeries everywhere the day starts for the patient putting on the gown that opens in the back. Some of them had to be cut shorter to fit the younger patients.
When the surgeries are completed they are brought to post-op for observation prior to going to the recovery room where most will spend the night and be discharged the following day.
The whole Rotaplast team is well cared for by the Rotary Cumanagoto Club and the Sponsor organizations (Toyota and Chevron) at the hospital. We all get a terrific lunch every day.
The schedule was for the surgeries to be completed so most of the team could be on the bus to the hotel by 7:00 pm. We all made it except for a few post-op nurses and pediatricians that were taking care of the final patients.
Another tiring but successful day!