PERSPECTIVES

Over the course of my surgery rotation, I had the privilege to be involved in the care of patients during some particularly intense, powerful, and moving moments. During this period, I had the opportunity to understand the surgical experience from the patient’s perspective and the perspective of their families. In my conversations with patients and families, I learned that the journey to and from surgery is filled with a diversity of experiences. There are moments when patients and families are together and thus share the experience, developing a collective understanding of the process. There are also critical moments at which the paths of patients and families diverge, resulting in distinct experiences. This photo-essay is an attempt to physically capture the different environments along the process of surgery as experienced by patients and their families, together and independently of one another. In this sense, the photo essay serves as a reminder that surgical teams can help bridge experiences of patients and families, providing opportunities for shared understanding whenever possible and/or desired.