Well, today I have decided to enter a post on my teaching experiences with residents in the OR. Today, I had three cases.
The first case was a severe case of infected anal condyloma. I used the CO2 LASER as is my usual custom in such cases. I had the opportunity to explain about the LASER in general and the use of the various power settings in particular. The concept of understanding power settings in Watts and what that means as you use the instrument is not so easy to communicate. My second year resident was able to do some of the case satisfactorily.
The second case was a straightforward case of excision of a sebaceous cyst.
The third case was a very obese man with an umbilical hernia. This case presented an opportunity to teach several important operative techniques. First, the principle of incision design for optimum exposure. Second, the use of well directed blunt dissection to seperate hernia sac from desmoplastic reactive tissue.
Well this concludes my log of teaching entry. JTE.