Some incidents from my professional life

Now a few incidents from my professional life. My profession was, as you know, Surgery. Surgery is a field where lots of DAIVAADHEENAM - God's blessings - is required - no, is a must. I always pray and surrender for the successful completion of the work I am going to undertake to God - my Swami - imagining my Swami's figure in my mind - and all things clean up and complete smoothly.

Once I was doing a Thyroidectomy - quite a large one. I prayed and started. On mobilising the right lobe, I found it was very adherent to the Carotid sheath. I chanted, "Sairam, Sairam" in my mind, seeing HIM in my mind, mobilised it as usual and it just popped into my hands. A little bleeding was there but controllable. Oh! What a relief! Our Swami is like that - Aapathbandhavan (Protector from danger).

Another one: A patient had surgery for perforated duodenal ulcer. The next day, he was ok, but from the third day onwards, he was looking a bit sad and anxious and his abdomen was distended. When I was going to see him as usual, I called on my Swami and prayed to make him normal and lo! He was looking cheerful. Who else is the cause of this miracle!

Another one: A hugely distended abdomen of a lady was on the table. It was filled with fluid contents but I was not sure what it was. As usual prayed and went in. It was a burst liver abscess and it was promptly drained - complete - with tubes on either flanks. She went home happily.

Many surgeons are Egoists because they think they can solve any problem, since they have skilled hands, but they don't realise that everything cannot be solved by human capacity and cleverness alone nor tiny human intelligence. That is the advantage of having faith in God. HE will come for help at any time anywhere and then you are foolproof. So, men with faith in God are lucky and blessed.

It is common for Surgeons to face Appendicular masses. There are different views on how to face it. One is surgery, the other is conservative - treat medically, then have surgery after it resolves. In immediate surgery, there is the risk of infection, but less chance of long hospitalisation. In the delayed option, hospitalisation would be longer, but there would be less risk of infection. Each Surgeon has his preference as per his experience.

For me, in one case I opened, calling Swamy, I just put my finger to clear adhesions and suddenly pus was pouring out. The pus was mopped up, field was clear, and just using finger dissection, I could get at the inflamed appendix and remove it. This may not be possible every time. Some appendices would be buried in adhesions. Then, we have to put in a drain, come off, and take it out later in a silent phase. To be adventurous and take out the appendix in any situation can land you in trouble. So in all appendicular masses, try my trick of calling my Swami (or your preferred name of God) in case of difficult decisions. In my 55 years of Surgical experience, there have been many cases when God intervened. I can't remember them all.

So the lesson is: don't play with the appendix - it can be easy but it can also make you sweat.

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