The doctor SIGNED HER BELLY??

[smeisnotapirate]

My friend just had a c-section, and mentioned the doctor saying that he had to sign her belly because it was SOP. She said it was in an ink that didn't come off for DAYS.

I am mortified and livid for her. What possible reason could a doctor have to do that?? Has anyone heard of this being SOP? It wasn't done to me during my section.

[AFWife]

That is really weird. I can understand "signing off" or something...but on paper!

[texmati]

wth? that is horrible.

[ALittleBitCrunchy]

I didn't have it with either of my c-sections, but my husband has had his hip signed and my mom has had her knees signed in the time since. In fact, for my husband, who was not cognizant pre-surgery, I had to initial his hand because the surgery need was discovered after he had consented to the hip surgery. Weird, but it happened. Common hospital practice. I figured something changed in hospital insurance and wouldn't think anything of it because I've seen it.

[cocoanib]

Wow, I never ever heard of this before.
New to me!

[blessedwithboys]

my ds recently had minor surgery and i was asked to circle the birthmark we were removing and write "YES" next to it and write "NO" on the other side of his back where there was no birthmark.

[smeisnotapirate]

Just to clarify, this was a fully conscious woman who had just been bullied into a c-section by the same doctor. THE DOCTOR was the one to sign her belly - not near her scar. Right under her belly button, same signature as a prescription.

[AlexisT]

This is not meant to humiliate the patient, and yes, it's SOP. It's part of the surgical checklist. You sign what you're going to operate on, and check it against the file. Mistakes have been made (someone had the wrong kidney removed once!), and the checklist has been shown to reduce operating errors. It sounds stupid--how can you operate on the wrong part when it's in obstetrics?--but in order for it to work, you need to do it the same way every time.

http://www.who.int/patientsafety/saf.../en/index.html

Atul Gawande also wrote a book on the checklist.

[luv-my-boys]

I dont find it odd at all but im a nurse that has worked in hospitals with similar *signature* policies. Its in place really to protect the patient. Hate to say it but gross mistakes have happened, people who go in for appendex removals leave with their tubes tied or worse.

The signature comes into play for instance if surgeon goes in to do a say tubal on jane doe only to find no signature on area but to find one on said rib area. HUGE FLAGS right there. a misplaced chart says one thing but the patient *says* another type deal. I have insisted several times with my own family for procedures to be writeen on them in surgical ink. For instance my DH had surgery and although the hosptial didnt have a policy I took the marker and wrote the surgical procedure on his chest.

[Drummer's Wife]

I didn't experience that with any if my 4 c-sections, but I don't know that it would have bothered me too much if it had happened. I can see why it would seem odd, but I can also see why it's sometimes done.

[Marsupialmom]

Medical facilities are doing stuff to "prevent" mistakes. They have found that doing stuff as a check list prevents mistakes.

I have not heard of this but my daughter was written on for her last surgery to remove an ear tube - this ear.


********now thinking of it one person wrote that then other people use small symbols to prove they double checked.

[an_aurora]

It's certainly not SOP at the hospital I work at.

[FireWithin]

I see why she feels like it might be a mockery. I would consider contacting the hospital to just confirm that it is standard procedure. It might help with healing.

[Marsupialmom]

http://www.patientsafetyasap.org/pdf...icalerrors.pdf

3. Make sure your doctor initials your site
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons urges its members to sign their initials directly on the site before
surgery. Make sure your surgeon -- not somebody else -- does the signing and that it's in the right place.

I know OB isn't orthopaedic but it could be a cross over safety policy.

[lovebug]

i had a huge X with my intls next to it when i had my ankle surgery. it was to insure they did surgery on the correct foot

i was fully awake and able to answer all questions

[Sarah W]

My stomach was signed on one side when I had a cyst removed. I never thought that was demeaning or anything. I think it's actually a common policy in some hospitals.

[smeisnotapirate]

Ok, good. I had never heard of this before and this OB is known for doing demeaning stuff, so I was immediately freaking out. Glad to hear it wasn't meant that way.

[Mountaingirl79]

Yeah, I had a benign lump removed from one of my breasts when I was in my early twenties, and the doctor wrote on and signed both boobs. LOL!! He also wrote yes on one and no with an X on the other. I was actually a little relieved since I knew I would be out during the surgery and not able to tell anyone if a mistake was made.

[AllyRae]

Whoa, this is weird to me...my c-section was 17 months ago, and I didn't have any signatures on me....

[KimberlyD0]

I had this with both me sections, DD#2 had it for her ear tubes (both ears) and my BFF had it on her knee

common practice here.