Surgeons are some of the most meticulous, detail-oriented people working in the medical industry. Surgeons go through all kinds of training and have to stick to a strict set of rules throughout. For example, they can’t take any food or drink into the operating room.
The simple answer is no. The reality is that surgeons don’t eat during surgery, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have food in their hands.
Surgeons train for years to prepare themselves for the specific procedures they perform. They undergo rigorous physical training, including weightlifting and running, and spend hours a day practicing on mannequins. Then there are the hours spent studying X-rays and anatomical drawings. For a surgeon to efficiently operate, he or she must be physically prepared to do so.
But even though surgeons devote a lot of time and energy preparing for surgery, they can still struggle to stay focused while performing it. This is because surgery requires intense concentration from the entire team — from the anesthesiologist, nurse practitioners, and orderlies to the surgeons themselves. It also requires intense concentration from the patient who must focus on every move performed by his or her surgeons to ensure a successful procedure.
Why Surgeons Eat During Surgery?
There are very many reasons why surgeons eat during surgery. Not all surgeons eat during surgery. Those that eat during surgeries are the one who is conducting a long-haul surgery. Some surgery requires more than 12 hours non-stop. This will make surgeons be exhausted requiring a regular intake of snacks or foods.
Long-haul surgeries have some regular breaks whereas surgeons can use this time to eat something or grab a snack. This will keep the energy level high to complete the surgery successfully.
It is important to note that surgeons are advised against eating in the surgery room. This is because the environment is not conducive for someone to eat. Instead, they go to a separate place where they take their snacks and eat food.
Long surgeries require surgeons to be hydrated. This will help them up stay focused on the task at hand without wearing out and getting dehydrated.
Surgeons who conduct simple and quick surgeries do not require to eat during the surgery. This is because most of the surgery started to take less than an hour which is enough for someone to complete without having to eat something. Unless the type of surgery requires a break where the surgeon can use this time to take a snack or a drink.
Most surgeons working in work hospitals have claimed that they come hospital prepared. Most of them take a good breakfast and only eat lunch and some snacks and drinks when they are not operating. Some of them also claim that they can go for a very long time without requiring any food or drinks.
Does Eating During Surgery Affect The Surgeon’s Performance?
Most people wonder whether eating during surgery will affect the performance of a surgeon. The truth is the surgeon should be healthy and strong to be able to conduct their surgery effectively. When a surgeon conduct surgery when they are hungry they might lose focus and lose energy required to conduct the surgery.
Depending on the nature of the surgery they are conducting it can be very difficult to take foods and drinks. Some surgeries are disturbing because there is a lot of blood and pain from the patient. Most surgeons prefer to consume their food and drinks very far away from the hospital. Most of them do that at home.
If they take the proper kind of diet in the morning before going to work they would have the energy required to take them through the day or until lunchtime. The most important thing is to ensure that they are healthy and strong to conduct any type of surgery presented to them.
Just like normal human beings when you are hungry you tend to lose focus. This can be very dangerous for surgeons because they require maximum focus and concentration during surgery. When a surgeon loses focus they can make mistakes that can be fatal.
Eating During Surgery Can Cause Distraction
It has been noted that most surgeons at eating amid surgery can get distracted easily. Such kind of destruction can cause mistakes during the surgery. For the surgeon to perform the surgery correctly, we need to be focused and in good shape. Surgery is very demanding because it requires the surgeons to keep on moving and standing for a very long time. Energy is crucial and therefore Surgeons ensure that they eat food and drinks that are rich in energy.
Some things are put into consideration when it comes to food then drinks for surgeons who are on duty. For example, if we take a lot of drinks they might be required to take a bathroom break amid an operation. This can be very sensitive especially if the surgery is critical such as brain surgery or heart surgery. This requires them to do a lot of planning ahead of time.
It is a best practice for surgeons to take foods and drink in-between cases. This gives them time to relax and refresh their mind and body. Since they already have the list of the cases they will be attending to in a day to make them easier for them to plan ahead of time.
However, if they receive an emergency case it will be a different story. The surgery might get prolonged and this will require them to take a break to take some food and snacks. Surgeons take a break when the case they’re working on is not very sensitive.
Being a surgeon is a demanding job. You handle a variety of situations and people, often under stressful circumstances. So, doctors need to eat well.
It may surprise you to learn that doctors eat during surgery. Some physicians have their meals delivered right to their operating room. Others eat at their desk or with their patients. Some eat in their scrubs.
It’s common for surgeons to eat during operations, but it’s considered unethical to eat before performing delicate procedures.