DECISION MAKINGDECISION TRIAGESTRATEGYSUNDAY SURGICAL SCRUB



“It’s when you realize that you are out of time that you must focus on not rushing.”



TASK AT HAND: This week I’m thinking about the last minute, the eleventh hour, time as it expires. We are constantly rushed and hurried in our professional commitments and personal relationships. In these pressured moments, we tend to rush when, in fact, we should be deliberate and purposeful with our strategy. As time slips away, we can succumb to bad decisions but there are strategies you can use to avoid errors in these situations.

“As time expires, each second is worth more.”

First, realize that, as time expires, each second is worth more. I like to think of the eleventh hour in terms of relativity. Although one second is one second, in the closing moments of an assignment or instances where a quick decision is required, I like to think of those seconds as “more valuable” than previous ones. When you only have minutes to act, each second is crucial. When you have days to decide, deliberation can be consummate with a longer time window, and seconds seem to matter less.

Previously, on the Decision Triage post of the Sunday Surgical Scrub (you can find it here), I emphasized that, in the last minute, every decision must be made right away and that all triages become urgent in this context. For example, in surgery, I imagine expanding each second to feel like minutes so that I can carefully execute the maneuvers that will bring the outcomes that are required. If there is an unforeseen complication or adverse event – where there is a very small amount of time to correct the error – it is here, I cannot rush! Realizing each second here is worth more than at any other time during the surgery, I can focus solely on these intense junctures. This approach allows speed and efficiency, without ever being rushed or forced into shortcuts.

“Quiet your mind, then plan and execute!”

The feeling of “running out of time” is an external force. It comes from outside you and is then transferred onto your inner self. This creates needless self-inflicted pressure. Quiet your mind, then plan and execute! When you are left with what seems as no time and limited options, still your mind and see beyond the time frame. Find the character of the decision and align yourself with the basic principles of what you want to achieve.



MEDICINE & MACULA: I was in Toronto this weekend for the 56th Annual Walter Wright Symposium, Retina 2016: A Practical Approach to Navigating the Future.



On Saturday, I presented a talk on my approach and techniques for infectious endophthalmitis. The evolving paradigm calls for early surgery and aggressive treatment to salvage vision from this devastating infectious condition.





GRATIS: “Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves?” -Robin Williams



My best to you,

David Almeida

david@davidalmeidamd.com