10 Surgeries I’d Never Want to Undergo as an OR Nurse

After spending two years watching patients undergo surgery and recover, operating room nurse Sam Hunt has revealed the 10 procedures he would most dread having himself.

The Charleston-based OR nurse ranked operations including tonsil removal, haemorrhoid surgery and complex procedures involving the brain, heart and digestive system.

Surprisingly, some of the operations that sound most dramatic did not appear at the top of his list.

Sam ranked a haemorrhoidectomy second because of the challenging recovery, while the Whipple procedure — a major operation involving several digestive organs — claimed the number one spot.

‘These are the top 10 surgeries I would never want to have, especially number one,’ he said in a video.

His list is based on personal experience, not a judgment about whether medically necessary surgery should be performed. Recovery can also differ significantly from one patient to another.

10. Tonsillectomy

Although tonsil removal may appear relatively routine, Sam said the recovery can be especially painful and difficult for adults.

‘These procedures are brutal to recover from, especially as an adult,’ he said.

‘You’re coping with severe throat pain, difficulty swallowing and the reality that you’ve just undergone surgery.’

Adults may need a tonsillectomy because of conditions such as recurring tonsillitis or obstructive sleep apnoea.

9. Achilles tendon repair

Because the Achilles tendon is essential for movements such as walking and running, an injury to it can severely disrupt everyday life.

‘For those who follow sport, an Achilles tendon injury is one of the most brutal injuries to recover from,’ Sam said.

He highlighted the weeks of restricted movement, the need to use a scooter and the lengthy rehabilitation that can follow.

‘Even after completing the lengthy rehabilitation, you may never be quite the same again,’ he said.

8. Craniotomy

A craniotomy involves temporarily removing part of the skull so surgeons can reach the brain.

‘They literally open your skull to gain access to your brain,’ Sam said.

‘Even though surgical techniques have become so advanced, I would still rather not have anyone operating inside my brain.’

7. Limb amputation

Sam also said the impact of a limb amputation can continue long after the operation has ended.

‘This is not only physically life-changing; it is mentally life-changing too,’ he said.

‘It requires substantial rehabilitation, as well as adjusting to life without the limb you were accustomed to having.’

Rehabilitation can include learning new ways to perform everyday activities and, for some patients, adapting to a prosthetic limb.

6. Burn debridement

Burn debridement involves removing damaged or dead tissue from a wound, with Sam specifically referring to severe burns requiring repeated treatment.

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‘Envisioning the worst burn possible basically all over your body, it’s gonna require a lot of surgeries, a lot of debridement and extensive wound care,’ he said.

Severe burns can require multiple operations alongside ongoing wound care and rehabilitation.

5. Open-heart surgery

‘My chest is being sawed open to be operated on,’ Sam said.

‘Again, even knowing how advanced our surgical procedures are, I still don’t want my chest sawed in half.’

Open-heart surgery encompasses major procedures performed through the chest, including operations involving the heart’s valves and arteries.

4. Open bowel resection

An open bowel resection involves removing a diseased or damaged section of the intestine through an abdominal incision.

‘Your entire abdomen is being exposed. You are having parts of your intestines replaced,’ Sam said.

He was particularly wary of how recovery could be affected by having to use your abdominal muscles to move after surgery.

‘Being able to move with your abdominal muscles after tearing through them to get to the intestines is gonna be brutal,’ he said.

3. Spinal fusion

Spinal fusion permanently joins two or more vertebrae and can involve hardware to stabilise the spine.

‘Your spine is getting permanently fused with hardware and recovery is gonna take not days, not weeks, but months to get back to even close to where you were,’ Sam said.

Recovery varies depending on factors including the location and extent of the fusion.

2. Haemorrhoidectomy

Perhaps the most unexpected entry was a haemorrhoidectomy, which Sam ranked above brain, heart and spinal surgery.

‘This might surprise some people,’ he said.

‘The surgery part itself isn’t bad, but the recovery process is awful because you’re trying to heal in an area where poop constantly goes through.’

A haemorrhoidectomy surgically removes haemorrhoids and can be recommended for severe cases when other treatments haven’t worked.

1. The Whipple procedure

The Whipple procedure topped Sam’s list.

Also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy, the major operation can involve removing the head of the pancreas and nearby structures before reconnecting the digestive tract.

‘This is probably one of the biggest abdominal surgeries. There is muscle, tissue, everything is torn open,’ Sam said.

‘You’re removing parts of your organs and you’re basically reconstructing your whole digestive system.’

The procedure is most commonly used to treat certain cancers and other serious conditions affecting the pancreas and surrounding organs.