Orthopedic Spine Rotation

My ability to learn quickly and anticipate was useful during my spine rotation due to the complicated nature of the procedure and the re-positioning after intubation. Aside from having an arterial line set up in the room, I would often have the ultrasound machine in the room in case the anesthesiologist needed assistance in the place of the arterial line. I frequently insisted that the anesthesiologist put an A-line whenever I was in a room with an orthopedic spine surgeon even when the anesthesiologist felt that one wasn’t necessary because they always requested for one to be placed. They often listened to my insistence to prevent any delays to the start of the case.
In spine cases, patients are intubated on the stretcher before being flipped into prone on the bed. Typically, after the nurse anesthetist intubated the patient, I would secure the endotracheal tube, tape the eyes, …show more content…
I also had the opportunity to work with an anesthesiologist alone; this was not planned, however. The nurse anesthetist was running late and the anesthesiologist could not delay bringing the patient back since the patient was not only a possible difficult intubation, but because she also needed an arterial line. Since the anesthesiologist had worked with me previously she asked me to intubate the patient with a glidescope while she began preparing the arterial line. I was able to successful intubate the patient with the glidescope, although I had a grade 2b view (only arytenoids and epiglottis were viewed). I was also asked to insert a second IV because the one the patient originally had was positional. The nurse anesthetist arrived after the start of the case. When she asked about how it went, the anesthesiologist said that she didn't she could have started the case so quickly and successfully without my preparation and