Doctors: How do surgeons hold out on surgeries more than 6 hours long? Do they rest during the operation?

By Murat Dayangac, Certified liver transplant surgeon since 2010

I am a liver transplant surgeon. On days of living donor liver transplantation, which takes at least 8 hours, from skin-to-skin, I have to keep operating all the time. But after 15 years of intense training, I have my muscle memory in place. Plus, there is a high level of adrenaline flow during the first 2–3 hours of surgery, which keeps you awake until the end of the operation!

In addition, when the new liver is reperfused, the rest of the operation, which involves arterial and biliary anastomoses, are performed under microscope. This means that you take a short break (for rehydration only, you’re not supposed to eat while the patient is asleep and the rest of the team is waiting! Also, you are not advised to continue with full stomach!), get rid of your surgical loupes, put your daily goggles back, and perform microsurgery. This opens a new chapter in your work.

The good thing is that, a recent study from the Maastricht University has shown that, standing for long periods during work has health benefits which are different than those of daily exercise.

Lastly, a few things to remember: change your scrub nurse and your first assistant frequently, because they are not expected to have the same stamina as yours; and don’t forget to put on your anti-thrombotic socks at all times!