2 /5 Adam Enger: Today, I had a surgery scheduled at a facility that had called me earlier to say the surgeon was running ahead of schedule, asking me to arrive early. Upon arrival, I filled out the usual paperwork but quickly noticed the waiting room was very small. Shortly after, a nurse brought me back to the pre-op area, where I realized there were dozens of patients crammed into a tight space. The environment felt chaotic—staff were moving around like ants, and the setup lacked both privacy and a patient-focused atmosphere.
I noticed my surgeon had at least five other patients on the schedule, and to my surprise, I was expected to wait five hours before my procedure. This, combined with the mixed qualifications of the staff and the impersonal nature of the experience, made me uncomfortable. Ultimately, I decided to cancel the surgery because the situation made me feel like just another number, rather than a patient receiving quality care.