Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: sutures

  • The scorn of slow stitches

    Anthony GulottaBethesda, Maryland, United States As a third-year medical student on my first surgery rotation, I had been standing consecutively for almost three hours. Until now, I had stood silent, watching as the attending surgeon excised a gangrenous gallbladder. Then, my focus was rapidly disrupted. “Over here!” bellowed the surgeon. I was being called to suture for the very…

  • Block

    Tuhina Raman Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States   The Journey Inwards by Dr. Nikhil Meena The lateral chest is the easel for my handiwork. I paint an orange sheen that glints off my patient’s chest as I prep and drape in standard sterile fashion. Round and round, from the center to the periphery. Once, twice—the third…