Abdominal re-operations

Abdominal re-operation or re-opening is defined as a second operation performed within hours to a few days after the first operation.

Quite often a re-operation is perceived by the patien's relatives as a major catastrophe and is believed to be a result of a poorly performed first operation.

This perception is generally unfounded. Many a time it will be a planned second-look operation in certain surgical conditions and this is explained well in advance to the patients relatives during the first procedure. Sometimes this may be unexpected and will be necessary to save the patient's life .It is not always unusual to have some sort of problems needing surgical correction in major abdominal emergency surgeries.

A second-look opertaion certainly adds to the stress of the surgeon, moreso in trying to convince the patients relatives of its need and sequelae. It also increases  the duration of hospital stay and definitely inflates the expenditure. And the relatives will try to force the surgeon to discount his fees etc. A strange situation. A surgeon works doubly hard, takes more stress and gets paid less. unfair.

Have a heart. All surgeons want their patients to do well and go back home at the earliest. But also the fact remains that all patients cannot be cured. The sicker ones., the older ones and the difficult ones who drain the surgeon's energy may all not become alright. But we always try and try real hard.