Medical Student Assisting a surgery

Hi!
I'll be assisting a surgical procedure in the next few weeks. Will the electrocautery affect my pacemaker if I am the surgeon's assistant?
Couldn't find topics about this so I had to ask.

Plus, should I avoid doing chest compressions for the meantime and opt for ambubagging? Im about 16 weeks out. I'm scared I might damage my leads if I do chest compressions.

Thanks!

4 Comments

Unlikely

by Artist - 2016-02-10 08:02:24

It's unlikely that you would damage your PM leads since they form scar tissue on the heart wall and that forms a secure bond. Generally that scarring process is complete after 3 months post op. The main concern might be your general physical fitness and now well your muscles are conditioned to prepare for that aggressive and demanding activity. Depending on how well your incision is healed, that could result in stretching adhesions and cause some pain. I would recommend doing some weight lifting and gradually increase the load to condition your body. How is your endurance. Are you on an exercise program? I believe that I read something cautionary about the use of electrocautery during colonoscopys, but recommend you address these specific concerns with your cardiologist/EP. Also, being in a medical environment, unless you have an MRI compatible PM, there might be certain areas of the hospital you have to avoid, including any surgeries or examinations that use MRIs.

@artist

by trailerboats - 2016-02-10 10:02:16

Thank you for the reply @Artist!
No exercise program yet. As much as I want to start one, I end up always sleeing after my 24-36 hour shift. But I'll try to search for programs.
Tegarding the electrocauteries, the one I keep on searching is if the payient is the one undergoingg surgery but no articles regarding yhe medical personnel having paemakers.
Thanks for the reply again!

A few random thoughts...

by donr - 2016-02-16 11:02:16

You are 16 weeks out. You know how fast tissue heals. Look at it from that standpoint - how well healed should the area around the impact points be at this point? Pretty darned well, I'd day. I had belly surgery & at the 16 week point, my scars were thoroughly closed up & starting to flatten out & turn white.

I know a man who whacked his thumb on a table saw in mid -December. Saw him (W/ my eyes, nor a cutting instrument) last week, approx 12 weeks out & I could not see where he suffered the cut!

To me, that is a "Not to worry issue"!

As to damaging the other part of the leads - As I recall chest compressions, they are done w/ the arms straight, elbows locked, w/ the upper body held in a fixed position, working w/ the large muscles of the torso, not the arms.

Perhaps on an OR table you do them differently. But that is of no consequence. If you have the common route for your leads, they enter the subclavian vein adjacent to the clavicle - you should not be moving that part of the body around to crush the lead w/ the clavicle & adjacent rib. OTOH, we collectively do all sorts of things that get relative motion between those parts of the body w/ no ill effect. This is an area where we are all different & you will never know if you are going to be the rare bird that has a problem.

So - get out & perform some sort of motion that may cause problems. You cannot go through life being afraid of hurting your self. I'd say drop to the floor & rip off a pushup or two - or 3,4,5,50 - whatever suits your fancy.

This is an area where you will never know the answer till you try it. And then it will not be immediate, it will take a while to damage the lead enough to cause failure.

Electro-cautery. Having only been on the business end of EC devices, I cannot speak w/ authority about what the potential threats are to the person handling the equipment.....BUT...I do know that electrical/electronic equipment in OR's is shielded, grounded, protected like none other (except in explosive manufacturing facilities). Go grab a Hosp safety expert & talk w/ him/her about the shielding on this equipment. Stray radiation is NOT welcome in an OR, nor are spurious electric shocks or stray sparks. You go in there thoroughly grounded, electrically, to prevent static discharge sparks in the presence of an O2 rich atmosphere & a lot of flammable/explosive vapors. All of the equipment is also protected. You don't want electrical interference to affect OR diagnostic/life support/monitoring devices, hence a lot of shielding. Last time I was a wake in an OR, prior to having my second PM implanted, the room looked like a college EE lab - computers, monitors, etc.

I think if you see that safety person, you can assure yourself that you are safe.

Donr




Thanks!

by trailerboats - 2016-02-21 09:02:15

Thank you, @donr! I'll be more involved and less scared in the future. :) Will keep everything you said in mind.

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The pacer systems are really very reliable. The main problem is the incompetent programming of them. If yours is working well for you, get on with life and enjoy it. You probably are more at risk of problems with a valve job than the pacer.