REFLECTION

I have completely finished all my hours for my Capstone project and I have to say I have learned a lot from completing all of aspects of the project.
The three things that I used to complete this project contain collaboration, communication and creativity. A lot more collaboration and communication rather than creativity. Communication was probably the most important due to the fact that I could only observe my mentor on Fridays and sometimes weekdays and never on weekends. I would always email or call my mentor to reassure my appointments about observation. The collaboration came more into play when I got to observe surgeries because he would show me different things and techniques that he used during a procedure and ask me if I find it interesting or would ask me questions about things. So we collaborated a lot the entire time I did my hours.
I gained a lot from completing the Capstone project, personally, socially and intellectually. Intellectually I learned many different things about the body and all the different pros and cons of becoming a plastic surgeon. The time consuming schedule,  the rigrous and very dangerous surgery on the contrary the great pay  accommodated with a very sufficient lifestyle. Personally and socially I learned how to interact with others on a more formal level rather than a friendship. I learned how to work with others in a business environment.
Even with all that I learned from this project I had a lot of obstacles that I had to overcome, the first one was communication due to the odd hours and my mentor's office being in S.F. I overcame that by calling and emailing him a lot more and just communicating with him much more. Second was transportation which was resolved with me walking at least 4 to 5 miles and catching Bart early in the morning. The last one was the hours, because my mentor worked early in the morning, on weekdays, I had to miss a lot of school and I still haven't been able to resolve that issue, it is still work in progress.

All an all this Project was a great experience that I learned a lot from on many levels, so
Peace Out
Divyashish Kumar

NEAR THE END

Hey Guys,
This is my Last blog, I have already completed close to 32 hours of mentoring a plastic surgeon and acquired a lot of skills and knowledge from him. I also got to observe many different interesting procedures, that I would have never been able to do.
Thank You so much to all the people that were a part of this project and helped me out in any aspect of this project.
Sincerely
Divyashish Kumar

GLUTE IMPLANTS

Time - 8am to 2pm
Today was a day like no other, because I observed my second live surgery but I don't know whether it was cool or disgusting, even with all the blood and incisions I wasn't really grossed out. The day started out with me getting to my mentor's office at around 8am just like usual. This time my mom gave me a ride because it was near her job. After I got to the hospital I waited in the lobby and then Dr. J came in a hurry just like always and all he said was," Surgery Let'a Go." So I just followed him to the other facility in a rush.

 I was kind of a normal procedure because Of the fact that I had observed a surgery before. Everyone got in their surgical attire and after the anestiologist did all the formalities, I saw the patient and she was close to a 28 year old woman who wanted some fat grafting and some butt implants. I remember when the surgery started it was extremely cold in the room but the surgery required so much movement for the Doc that he was sweating. SO he kept turning up the A.C and I froze the entire surgery.


After the Doc completed the fat grafting, which you guys can read in my last blog, he flipped the patient on her back and used a heated pen like apparatus and began   to cut through the skin where the butt crack starts and slowly he opened up the pockets of the patient's butt muscles. He said hat was the easiest part. After that he began to sterilize the implants and then he started to try to fit the implants in the opened butt pockets. This is the most difficult part of the surgery it due to the fact that a minor mistake can cost you a lot of time. For example it took him 46 minutes to put in the left implant and only 6 for the right only because he had a little size difference in the cuts. After the implants were in the doc took many different types of stitches and stitched up the patients' butt. Before I knew it a six hour surgery was done.

Overall the day was strangley normal even though I watched someones gluts get torn into half. I learned a lot of new things and also observed a very cool procedure, so
Peace Out
Divyashish Kumar

FIRST REAL SURGERY

Time - 7am to 2pm
Total Hours - 7
Another early morning and another early session with my mentor to complete my hours. Hey Guys another post, for a set of hours that I completed with my mentor. But today was a very special day because I got to observe a real live Fat Drafting surgery. So, today I woke around the usual time at about 5.30 am and forgot that I had an appointment with my mentor to observe and get some more hours done. At around 6 I realized about it so  I got ready, tired as all hell and left my house, I had to catch BART to get to S.F. I got at the Hospital at around 6.55 and so I went to Dr. J's office and it was closed, so I just went back down to the lobby sat there thinking what I should do. To my surprise I see Dr.J all ready in his surgical gear, I then I realized that I forgot I was going to Obderve a Live Surgery. We rushed to his other office down the block and we got ready.
 I found out that the patient was a 60 year old war veteran transvestite who wanted to get fat drafted from his back and then put into his chest, so that he would have a set of natural breasts. The nurse gave the patient his gown and then laid him down on the bed and put an I.V into his arm. Then the anestigiologist came over and asked the patient general question so that he would know if the patient would have a bad reaction to the anestiga he was going to receive. Then the doc started the procedure after he put on all the protective gear and gloves as well as the mask.

 He started to make little incisions in the back of the patient then inserted a pie into them and filled them with a fluid that would sterilize the inside of the skin so that the fat would part off of it. Then he went in with the same tube and started to suck out all the fat from his back. It took him two to three hours to get all the fat that he wanted.



After he collected all the fat in a huge container, he stated to strain the fat apart from the blood and fluids, after he did that he packed fat little by little into the chest of the patient through a huge injection. It took him a long time to do so because he had to be precise with the amount of fat he would insert to each side so that the breasts would be even. After he finished that he stitched up all the little incisions he made on the back of the patient and so the surgery was done.

For me to actually watch a surgery LIVE was a huge deal, I never though I would be able to do that in my entire Life time it was a very cool and exhilarating experience, that came once in a life time. Overall it was a good day full of surprises, so
Peace Out
Divyashish Kumar