Thoracic, Revisited

As the cardiac resident at the VA, I also do most of the thoracic anesthesia. Like cardiac, it's fun revisiting these anesthetic techniques in the VA environment. It helps me see how much I've really learned as the second time around, these cases are much smoother. After learning something intensely, the mind and body needs a period of time to assimilate and integrate the new information and skill set. Then when I return to those clinical situations, things feel much more instinct and habit than novelty. The thoracic epidurals, double lumen intubations, troubleshooting, and flow and expectations of surgery become a lot easier. We had a wide variety of cases, from simple wedge resections to a full-on Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. It makes me much more confident in my skills and decision making as an anesthesiologist.