Before the Flight: Pre-Op Checklist

Abstract

Like any military or commercial pilot, prior to any flight, you have to go over a “checklist” (• Fig. 9.1). In fact, the need to check everything obsessively is more crucial to you than to the pilot. For while a team of dedicated and well-trained maintenance professionals surround the pilot, you are not uncommonly surrounded only by jerks. We do not want to be abusive or rude, but let us be realistic—at 2 a.m. your intern or junior resident is much more interested in his lost sleep than your prospective operation. And the anesthetist? Your emergency case is just a pain in the ass. The sooner he or she can administer the gases, the sooner he or she can dump your “case” in the recovery room or intensive care unit and the sooner they can crawl under the comfort of their warm duvet. The nursing staff? Forget them. Not in vain today are they called OR technicians. (Lest we be accused of painting with too wide a brush, there are always the wonderful exceptions in this scenario; let them know they are appreciated!)