COVID-19 AND SURGERY 

The Viral Situation – The Novel Coronavirus was a distant threat… until I was called to operate on a patient infected with COVID. 

Eyes half closed, I rose and staggered to the corner of the room where my phone lay plugged to the wall.

“Tinesh here. We’ve got a bit of a situation. ” 

Grunting into the phone, I pulled on my clothes, kissed my wife goodnight and gunned the engine of my little Honda.

COVID in the Air – Between tight Tyvek ‘space-suits’ and slices of birthday cake, life happens despite COVID being in the air. 

Andy clamps hemostats onto bleeders and Amir ties them off with silk threads. We clean up and start closing the wound. The anesthetist gives a thumbs up. I can only see her eyes smile through the clouded visor, her face hovering over the patient’s head.

The patient is a white haired gentleman, face smothered in a crumpled mask – ravaged by COVID and obviously in pain.

Of Madness and Hope – The COVID-19 pandemic has been maddening changes to our lives, but could there be light at the end of this dark tunnel?

“Periosteal elevator, please.” I croak through the drone of my ventilated suit.

Scrub Nurse quickly unwraps a sterile tray and hands over the sharp instrument. We frown spend a few frowning moments, slicing dark red muscle away to reveal gleaming white bone beneath….”Is the power saw ready?” I ask.

The Eye of the Needle – The COVID-19 Vaccine finally made its way into my arm in early March 2021. Is this the end of the pandemic? Only time will tell.

Little over a year ago, I got a call about an injured sailor on a ship newly docked in Port Klang. While I mulled over how to treat his hurt shoulder, it struck me that his Ship had started her voyage in the waters of Wuhan, China.

That little detail changed everything.