Table 8 Case illustration: communication and teamwork

On a busy elective [operation theatre] day, onco-surgeon was going to operate a 70-year-old patient of carcinoma thyroid with neck metastasis. Other routine cases were also on the list. Anesthesiologist requested the chief of the surgery to allow the onco-surgeon to operate on a table having invasive monitoring as the case is complicated. Surgeon scolded at the anesthesiologist “who are you to decide that which case is to be operated on which table” and he was not willing to listen to anything and was using degrading language. In view of patient’s safety intervention from the chief of anesthesiology was sought, and patient was put on invasive monitoring table. Now, in this case, surgeon behaved in a manner as if he was the “captain of the ship” and was a cause of conflict. But firm stand taken by the chief of anesthesia in favour of patient safety was again an example of collaboration.

Attri [85]