<Home> <Muslim Scientists> <Ibn Al Nafis> <Different stages of surgical operations and the role of patient>

The different stages in surgical operations are three: the 'time of presentation', the 'time of operative treatment', and the 'time of preservation'. The first is called the 'time of presentation', since it refers to the time when the patient entrusts his body to the physician. As long as the physician is examining the patient, and is thinking about diagnosis and therapy, it would be the 'time of presentation'. It is called the 'time of presentation' because the patient entrusts his body to the physician to deal with it as he sees right.
      As soon as the physician begins to operate, and as long as he is operating, this is called the 'time of operative treatment', which is an obvious matter.
      But as soon as the physician finishes the operation and departs, leaving the patient, who should remain in the same condition that was brought about by the doctor, this is called the 'time of preservation'. Both the physician and the patient have specific roles in each of the three stages. Here, we review the role of the patient in each stage separately.

As to the role of the physician, this will be dealt with in the next chapter.
      As to the patient's role during the 'time of operative treatment', it is also two fold. First, he should expose to the physician all the affected parts of the body, concealing nothing from him. Secondly, he should inform the physician of all the circumstances related to his disease, even if he thought they were very far removed. Thus, of necessity, the physician would have greater and more perfect knowledge of the disease.

As to the patient's role during the 'time of operative treatment' it is also two fold. First, he should comply with all the instructions of the physician, and should not abstain from following them. Secondly, he should keep his body in the same posture that was assumed at the beginning, and throughout the time of operative treatment, not altering the position of any part whatsoever. If, however, the patient could not keep still because of the intensity of pain or because he is an infant or a child, and so on, he should be held in a fixed position by somebody else. If it is difficult to keep him still, and it is feared that the patient's

disturbance may disrupt the operation -or he may inflict harm upon himself in any other way -then he should be tied down in the most favourable position. For example, during the couching operation of the eye, if it is feared that the tip of the needle may penetrate and disrupt the humours of the eye, and in like cases, it would be necessary to tie the patient down in the most favourable position.
    As to the patient's role during the 'time of preservation', he should safeguard the physican's treatment, in that he should not bring about any change, even if it was very trivial; trivial changes may result in great harm.

Chapter - II Role of Physician during the time of presentation, the time of operative treatment, and the time of preservation