My Oral Surgery Experience at Putrajaya Hospital

It was like a dream and now the oral surgery is over.The Day Care Wad at that hospital is really spacious. My mom commented it was like a scene from those Hong Kong TVB hospital drama series. I was assigned to bed #9. While waiting for my queue, I waited on the bed, walked around, read newspaper, short chat with the nurses. 2 doctors came to brief me on the oral surgery and general anesthesia procedure respectively, and I put my signature on the consent forms.

After 3 hours of waiting, the Operating Room was ready for me at 10.15am. I was wheel-chaired from the wad to the Operating Room preparation room. There were already a few patients waiting their turns. And I'm being briefed again on the procedure. All these while I was anticipating excitingly on the surgery but at the time, my legs were shaking already. After that, I was moved to a bed and wheeled to OR #5, with all the large over head lights like you seen them in Grey's Anatomy surgical scenes and the surgeons in surgical gowns.

The anesthesiologist chatted a while with me and then unknowingly I went to sleep after they administered the drug. Total blackout for 4 hours. I woke up at 2.15pm at the wad, with dry blood stains in my left nostril; that's where they insert the oxygen tube via the nose into my throat.. or something. I was still on saline fluid drip and 2 big bloody cotton gauze pad in my mouth . Within 30mins I was off the saline drip, able to walk again and the first meal was ice cream! And then I waited for the post operation briefing.

And by 5pm, I was discharged and also because they were closing the wad too for the day. The oral surgeon briefed me that there was complication at the left lower jaw 3rd molar that has impacted the jaw nerves. Wow!

A few interesting notes when I was at the hospital. A trainee doc (as I believe) lost her notes and she was searching everywhere at the nurse counter. I was like, OMG, how can a doctor be that forgetful! In the OR, they forgot to turn on the oxygen gas supply in the first attempt. And... as a good disclaimer practice, I have been asked by numerous nurse at each unit to read out aloud my name, my ID number and to confirm if the signature on the form is mine. It seems I have high BP reported from the Day Care Wad and Surgical Wad. I need to eat more celery and sleep earlier.

Just now, it was the slowest dinner I ever had. I can only eat congee. It's so tough to open my mouth and chew. Oh.. the pain!! Luckily I'm provided with pain killers. And the whole oral surgery in a main Operating Room with general anesthesia procedure, inclusive of lunch meal and medicines only cost me RM53. Not forgetting those nurses with the charming smiles. The chief nurse looks stern but friendly.

I'm trying to make good use of my paid income tax money :P