Image with Commentary
January 2012
In teaching hospitals, physicians work in teams. A surgical team consists of an attending surgeon, a fellow, a senior resident, a junior resident and maybe an intern and a medical student. The team provides the educational and cultural milieu in which future surgeons learn their skills.
After surgeons complete their residencies, most will work as individuals but some will have opportunities to participate in team efforts. The more complex the surgery, the more likely the surgeon will be part of the team. Some surgical procedures are best accomplished when the teams work in sequential order, completing one step before going on to the next. Other surgical procedures are best accomplished when the surgical teams work in parallel, working at the same time but on different parts of the patient. Working in parallel is more time saving and is used whenever possible.
The panoramic image shows two surgical teams led by head and neck surgeon Dr. Z. Sargi. One team is removing the cancer from the patient's mandible and surrounding tissues. The second team is taking a free graft of skin and muscle from the left leg which will be used to cover the residual hole in the patient's face. Even with the surgical teams working in parallel, the procedure will last for many hours. (2011)