Page 13 - VHM-Winter2019

MORE THAN A FEELING: BEDSIDE MANNER MATTERS
Stanley O. Hoerr, Chairman of the Division of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic in the 1960’s once said, “The surgeon is a [wo]man of action...Young surgeons, busy mastering the technicalities of the art , are particularly alert to seize every legitimate opportunity to practice technical maneuvers..”
For millennia, the personhood of The Doctor has been an archetype upon which the spirits moving through an era are often projected. For a long time, popular cultural ideas and images of the Victorian gentleman scientist prevailed, as did the misty water- colored memory of the lone lab-coated fatherly figure with unshakable calm and all the answers, as did rigid hierarchies that distanced physicians from their coworkers their patients – and the very human realities and emotions part of working with human bodies. Thankfully, such notions are outdated and have been debunked.
Physicians have published extensively on medical ethics, codes of conduct, etiquette and decorum guiding bedside manner and the way in which physicians interact with patients. Think Hippocrates. In some ways, Medicine, a self-professed practice of Science and Art, is one of the most publicly self- reflective professions ever.
Medical science is driven by the essential human need to understand, intervene, imagine and invent. Medical arts humbly acknowledge diligent human toil in the face of the unknown, the joys of synthesis in being able to amass bodies of knowledge and skill to solve problems, and bearing witness to the limits of medical science on a journey in which we all share the ultimate destination.
Dr.Hermanreflectsbackonhisownexperience. One of the things about being a Neurosurgeon is that there’s so much to learn.” He came to town in 1993, at a time it when it was all about becoming comfortable with surgical techniques and technology.
Since then he has learned, over many years in practice, that The most important thing is spending time with his patients and listening, really listening. He learned to understand his patients’ concerns and history, what brought them to his office, and what they understood about their own condition or disease. He learned to listen to patients’ expectations of their healthcare, and to connect with patients and their families.
‘Every patient and situation is different: sometimes surgery is not the best option. Patients may need something non-surgical. Sometimes the options are few, but we do our best to give patients facing a serious health problem and a lack of options the best opportunity to have a better quality of life. Some patients are sent to me by other surgeons with the decision about a particular intervention procedure having been made. Sometimes it’s a complex procedure requiring more than one surgical specialty...
Often, surgery is the only option as a life-saving choice. The next thing is to determines what will be therightsurgicalprocedureforeachpatient. Ideally, the best approach and a wide range of treatment options can be a part of the choices offered by Dr. Herman and his team.
Dr. Herman feels that one of the advantages of being a part of the Anacapa Surgical team is that they are colleagues. All of the surgeons and staff at VCMA work together. In some cases, a patient may need more than one specialist. A brain surgery may need more than a Neurosurgeon. an Otolaryngologist (ENT) and perhaps a Plastic Surgeon, or with a complex spinal disorder, a cardiothoracic surgeon is needed just to get to the spine.
“It’s a whole team – the nurses, the anesthesiologists, clinicians, dieticians; we consult one another. We’re very comfortable and confident working with each other. It’s a true team approach, and it’s a very good system for patients. I foresee that in the next ten years, it’s only going to get better. The technological advances will just keep coming, and procedures are only going to get simpler for the patient, while offering better outcomes. And, patient outcomes are everything.”