Having to get surgery is
a very anxious thing for a person. Their life hangs in the balance of a surgeon
who went through years of training in order to gain the experience required to
save a person’s life. In the New York Times article Going Under the Knife, With Eyes and Ears Wide
Open by Jan Hoffman, keeping the
patient awake is starting to become a more accepted, more appreciated thing
from patients as they are able to view what the doctors are doing inside of
their bodies. Most of these surgeries are occurring for minor surgeries that
help keep the patient more involved with their surgery. They also occur with
patients who need dangerous brain surgery. When these surgeries take place, it
is essential so the doctor is able to successfully perform the surgery with
knowledge that the patient is awake, and alive. Both of these reasons to keep
the patient awake has been beneficial for a successful surgery. Being able to
see the surgery brings comfort to the patient. If the patient was not given
this opportunity, the person may not feel comfortable with going through with
their surgery because they will not be able to know what is going on inside of
their bodies. I believe that it is important for a person to have the option,
because then even if they don't take that opportunity, they would have had all
of their options. In the article, Hoffman states, “Patient satisfaction,
however, tends to be high” (Hoffman). Being able to have a comfortable
patient throughout the entire process is very important for doctors as they
want to have a comfortable relationship with their patient. By being able to
provide them with everything they need, doctors are also able to perform the
surgery without the patient having to go under anesthesia. This requires less
pre-surgery and post-surgery work that the patient has to deal with. The option
to stay awake during surgery has not only provided doctors with a way to be
able to talk to their patients throughout the entire surgery, but provided the
patients with a way to understand everything that was going on inside their
body during the entire surgery.
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