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Surgeon Caught Asleep On The Floor After Epic 28-Hour Shift, And Now His Photos Are Going Viral
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Being a doctor is not only a hard job but an exhausting one too. Surgeon Luo Heng performed 5 operations over a total of 28 hours. He did two emergency surgery’s overnight and then 3 more the following morning. After his extremely long shift, Heng was captured sleeping on the hospital floor and looking comfy as ever. The pic was posted on a Chinese social media site called Weibo and ever since people have been praising him for his dedication to work.
It’s not the first time we see pics of doctors sleeping at work but we must say, after 28 hours of work, Doctor Heng sure deserved a nice nap!
(h/t: weibo)
Other doctors have also posted pics of them sleeping at work
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He doesn't deserve a nap on a floor. He deserves a hot shower, a good feed and a good log sleep in a safe and comfortable home.
My first thought as well.
long sleep :)
After 28 hours of work he probably wasn't fit to go home. He probably needed a few hours of sleep to function enough to get home safely.
he naps for 30 minutes and then goes back to work, i don't think he could have a hot shower, a good feed and a good long sleep in that time. also, i'm sure he has it all at his home...
Сил бывает нет уже нас душ
much agreed. he also deserves a 12 hour nap on the world's most comfortable bed ever alongside all of the other doctors
d
Dedication, sure sure, but the most alarming thing is, that he had to work 28 hours. That's horrible, who would like to be the last patient of surgeon who didn't sleep last 24 hours?
Some interventions last 28 hours, so....yeah
Well.. there's a difference between surgeries and interventions. A big difference.
they are going to sleep every 6 hrs, they just there 28 hrs (total shift) in case of emergency after surgery (or new emergency surgery)..though doctors and nurses do need to have room and beds
While I do fully respect his dedication, this seems like a malpractice suit waiting to happen. I have no idea what the differences are between American and Chineses laws in this regard, but 28 hours without sleep is the same everywhere. And I have serious doubts that he's not slightly impaired, if not greatly so, operating with that kind of sleep deprivation. Give me even 20 hours without sleep and my brain turns foggy. After 28, I'd pretty much just be on co-pilot.
I though the same. As I can admire his devotion and dedication, I wouldn't want him to do my surgery. 28 hours of doing something that requires your upmost concentration is devastating... And people who introduced laws permitting that should be sued.
Many American doctors have to do this too. I have several 28-hour shifts per month.
It's insane.
I agree Ricky. The attached article discusses the cognitive changes in the brain when an individual is lacking sleep. There are many more current published studies that point to the risk of 28+ hour shifts, particularly as it applies to interns and residents. http://www.bcmj.org/article/sleep-deprivation-among-physicians
My ex was a surgeon and once his shift lasted 36 hours. By the time he came home, he was practically made of coffee.
There are no laws......all doctors around the world and in the US work like this. People dont see physicians as human being with basic needs.
People? You mean employers, not patients, right?
They train for this and they are not alone in the Surgery, there are many who help and talk and observe.
Doctors spend a lot of time devoting themselves to education and practice before they work in a hospital, I'm sure a lot of them perform the same operations to the point where it becomes like timing a shoelace, I'd probably have enough trust to let the guy do my operation, lol
+ it's not a daily thing, but in case of an emergency, they're expected to be there so they train for the hardest during their internship.
"He did two emergency surgery’s overnight and then 3 more the following morning. "
A 28 hour emergency?
These extreme long shifts are questionable, both from an working ethics point of view and regarding patient safety (if I only think how bad I drive a car after not sleeping for a whole night...) but not even providing adequate facilities for sleeping is unacceptable.
I can't imagine working that long being good for his concentration and the health of his patient. I say this is worth no praise. But more an alarm bell. The more tired you are the more likeley you are to make mistakes and thus let patients die.
Alarming is what this is. Why does the medical establishment think they can perform life saving surgeries when they're sleep deprived? The FAA keeps strict tabs on the number of hours pilots and crew can fly as a matter of public safety. I don't understand why the AMA doesn't explore similar schedules?
In Romania a shift = 24 hours, starting from 6 am until the next day at 6 am. After that the same doctor who ended a 24 hour shift must also do the normal 8 hour/day programme. Which equals 32 hours of work with no sleep. Furthermore, the medical residents doing shifts are not even paid for shifts.
Same in Turkey. Furthermore being subjected to violence by patients and their relatives is not the rare case
Seriously...don't they have a bed without the horrible lighting for these folks to rest in? SEems like an accident waiting to happen for everyone!
When it comes to doctors, we way too often accept if not demand such an enormous amount of working hours. Because, this is hwow it is, they should be devoted, I don't know exactly why. Could you imagine, if a company did the same to their office workers? Or actually, in any other place or positions? Everyone would consider it cruel and illegal. But when it comes to the surgeon: how cute! Terrible approach:S
I think that interns having such brutal schedules is just SO dumb! What better way to cause new doctors to make mistakes?! Especially when peoples lives hang in the balance! I have always thought this practice is SO irresponsible!!
scrutinized even as he sleeps. no refuge.
Poor guys. They should get some free-days
Photo of doctor Religa by James L. Stanfield, 1987 james-l-st...4dad98.jpg
This is far from humane. They need full concentration to conduct their surgeries at best possible way. Bringing them to such a condition only worsens the outcome and exploits them massively.
Definitely portrays hard work and dedication but I worry about anyone who works 28 hours straight, especially someone in a profession like surgery where there's little room for mistakes. Did the last patient get the same amount of dedicated attention to detail that the first patient got? There has long been a tendency of medical schools to schedule their residents and interns to work up to 48 hours with only a couple of meal breaks. Is this supposed to toughen them up for a hard career? It certainly seems like it's putting patients at risk. There's nothing heroic about working straight for 28 hours on complex emergency cases when you're losing focus and starting to drift off while you're working.
no one was nice enough to lay a piece of blanket or clothe on this man???
Where I live at doctors don't even show up to work and only see you for less than 5 mins when they do decide to show up. Different cultures.
I've worked in the operating room for ten years and I know what it means. I worked for 28 hours, because sometimes you have to do it and in the end you find yourself trying to steal a minute of sleep where you can do it. For example, if you happen to be available on a week-end, with no one to give you a change, stitch your teeth and work. I also happened to have slept for two days later when I got home.
I want photoshop battle
Poor dude.
ad7eQ4Q_46...48b1f1.jpg
:( he worked so hard
there always has to be doubters and faultfinders these people are dedicated and run on adrenalin he is the person I would want at my side if I was sick thank you for all you guys and women do your are real heros. and it is called sleep where you drop
surgeries, not surgery's
I know of a doctor who was found sleeping in a linen cupboard when he was exhausted !
Yeah, let's make the people that cut around in our insides to save our lives work two days in a row. But make sure no truck driver will ever go beyond his allowed time frame!! Priorities, people!
Truck drivers are not allowed to drive more than 10 hours but Doctors can work and perform surgeries with a lack of sleep. Granted this is in China but I know many a new MD working hospital shifts just as long here in the US.
They sleep when they can, poor guy didn't make it to the sleeping room for Dr's , just too tired to travel across the Hospital and he is near the Surgery if needed.
Why do they force doctors to work long hours like this? They are more prone to make mistakes the longer they work.
WOW! What a Fantastic Mind, Skill and Will. AND, he performed them without difficulty and the Patients are doing Wonderfully! So, people talking about him operating on them, sleep deprivation and all that crap - YOU'RE NOT A DOCTOR! You have no idea what type of training, will, mind and expertise this man has. Obviously, you're not on his level, NOR can you imagine it. Some people have no idea what it means to be ABOVE THE NORM. When you are, this is what you do, and more. Feebs.
I think they meant the operation lasted 28 hours and not that he enter the operation 20 hours into his shift. Idk if you change surgeon in the middle of the operation.
A lot of people don't see this side of medicine, especially in the hospital. Its not all Greys Anatomy and cute interactions; there's hours research and formulation. Nurses in hospitals work 12hour shifts, doctors work (typically in the US in the hospitals I work) 72 shifts on-call. Straight. They have teams and residents behind them also. The idea behind the longer hours is continuity of care for the patient. Handing off your patient to different people inherently looses information and time. I'm not saying that that it's not an outdated system, but patients come first. This doctor probably only had a few minutes between his next surgery case to take a quick nap. Most hospitals I've been in have call rooms and private kitchens for doctors. Believe me, they are taken care off. I work 12 hr shifts, there are days I need to put my head down to keep going. =]
Overworked, doctors are human too
No one should have such insane work shifts. Especially when they're responsible for someone else's health.
Sue...for me better changed and give good suggestuon and effort..it is much better than sue...i have to do double task as some people said hosp staff is over load???i dont how true is that yes it make us tirwd and we cannot give good service as we cannot cope
Speaks to the lack of qualified surgeons in China maybe?
И я так когда то засыпала
Reminds me of another famous photo...
So?
How can they work them that hard honestly they already do enough
Heroes!
yeah, he did indeed deserve a nap, maybe in a better bed, but he didn't mind it seems
dedication? No. Malpractice.
Zzzzzzz... Uh what?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I'M TAKING NAP! You wanna take a nap? I take a nap right here.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
wrong job.
He doesn't deserve a nap on a floor. He deserves a hot shower, a good feed and a good log sleep in a safe and comfortable home.
My first thought as well.
long sleep :)
After 28 hours of work he probably wasn't fit to go home. He probably needed a few hours of sleep to function enough to get home safely.
he naps for 30 minutes and then goes back to work, i don't think he could have a hot shower, a good feed and a good long sleep in that time. also, i'm sure he has it all at his home...
Сил бывает нет уже нас душ
much agreed. he also deserves a 12 hour nap on the world's most comfortable bed ever alongside all of the other doctors
d
Dedication, sure sure, but the most alarming thing is, that he had to work 28 hours. That's horrible, who would like to be the last patient of surgeon who didn't sleep last 24 hours?
Some interventions last 28 hours, so....yeah
Well.. there's a difference between surgeries and interventions. A big difference.
they are going to sleep every 6 hrs, they just there 28 hrs (total shift) in case of emergency after surgery (or new emergency surgery)..though doctors and nurses do need to have room and beds
While I do fully respect his dedication, this seems like a malpractice suit waiting to happen. I have no idea what the differences are between American and Chineses laws in this regard, but 28 hours without sleep is the same everywhere. And I have serious doubts that he's not slightly impaired, if not greatly so, operating with that kind of sleep deprivation. Give me even 20 hours without sleep and my brain turns foggy. After 28, I'd pretty much just be on co-pilot.
I though the same. As I can admire his devotion and dedication, I wouldn't want him to do my surgery. 28 hours of doing something that requires your upmost concentration is devastating... And people who introduced laws permitting that should be sued.
Many American doctors have to do this too. I have several 28-hour shifts per month.
It's insane.
I agree Ricky. The attached article discusses the cognitive changes in the brain when an individual is lacking sleep. There are many more current published studies that point to the risk of 28+ hour shifts, particularly as it applies to interns and residents. http://www.bcmj.org/article/sleep-deprivation-among-physicians
My ex was a surgeon and once his shift lasted 36 hours. By the time he came home, he was practically made of coffee.
There are no laws......all doctors around the world and in the US work like this. People dont see physicians as human being with basic needs.
People? You mean employers, not patients, right?
They train for this and they are not alone in the Surgery, there are many who help and talk and observe.
Doctors spend a lot of time devoting themselves to education and practice before they work in a hospital, I'm sure a lot of them perform the same operations to the point where it becomes like timing a shoelace, I'd probably have enough trust to let the guy do my operation, lol
+ it's not a daily thing, but in case of an emergency, they're expected to be there so they train for the hardest during their internship.
"He did two emergency surgery’s overnight and then 3 more the following morning. "
A 28 hour emergency?
These extreme long shifts are questionable, both from an working ethics point of view and regarding patient safety (if I only think how bad I drive a car after not sleeping for a whole night...) but not even providing adequate facilities for sleeping is unacceptable.
I can't imagine working that long being good for his concentration and the health of his patient. I say this is worth no praise. But more an alarm bell. The more tired you are the more likeley you are to make mistakes and thus let patients die.
Alarming is what this is. Why does the medical establishment think they can perform life saving surgeries when they're sleep deprived? The FAA keeps strict tabs on the number of hours pilots and crew can fly as a matter of public safety. I don't understand why the AMA doesn't explore similar schedules?
In Romania a shift = 24 hours, starting from 6 am until the next day at 6 am. After that the same doctor who ended a 24 hour shift must also do the normal 8 hour/day programme. Which equals 32 hours of work with no sleep. Furthermore, the medical residents doing shifts are not even paid for shifts.
Same in Turkey. Furthermore being subjected to violence by patients and their relatives is not the rare case
Seriously...don't they have a bed without the horrible lighting for these folks to rest in? SEems like an accident waiting to happen for everyone!
When it comes to doctors, we way too often accept if not demand such an enormous amount of working hours. Because, this is hwow it is, they should be devoted, I don't know exactly why. Could you imagine, if a company did the same to their office workers? Or actually, in any other place or positions? Everyone would consider it cruel and illegal. But when it comes to the surgeon: how cute! Terrible approach:S
I think that interns having such brutal schedules is just SO dumb! What better way to cause new doctors to make mistakes?! Especially when peoples lives hang in the balance! I have always thought this practice is SO irresponsible!!
scrutinized even as he sleeps. no refuge.
Poor guys. They should get some free-days
Photo of doctor Religa by James L. Stanfield, 1987 james-l-st...4dad98.jpg
This is far from humane. They need full concentration to conduct their surgeries at best possible way. Bringing them to such a condition only worsens the outcome and exploits them massively.
Definitely portrays hard work and dedication but I worry about anyone who works 28 hours straight, especially someone in a profession like surgery where there's little room for mistakes. Did the last patient get the same amount of dedicated attention to detail that the first patient got? There has long been a tendency of medical schools to schedule their residents and interns to work up to 48 hours with only a couple of meal breaks. Is this supposed to toughen them up for a hard career? It certainly seems like it's putting patients at risk. There's nothing heroic about working straight for 28 hours on complex emergency cases when you're losing focus and starting to drift off while you're working.
no one was nice enough to lay a piece of blanket or clothe on this man???
Where I live at doctors don't even show up to work and only see you for less than 5 mins when they do decide to show up. Different cultures.
I've worked in the operating room for ten years and I know what it means. I worked for 28 hours, because sometimes you have to do it and in the end you find yourself trying to steal a minute of sleep where you can do it. For example, if you happen to be available on a week-end, with no one to give you a change, stitch your teeth and work. I also happened to have slept for two days later when I got home.
I want photoshop battle
Poor dude.
ad7eQ4Q_46...48b1f1.jpg
:( he worked so hard
there always has to be doubters and faultfinders these people are dedicated and run on adrenalin he is the person I would want at my side if I was sick thank you for all you guys and women do your are real heros. and it is called sleep where you drop
surgeries, not surgery's
I know of a doctor who was found sleeping in a linen cupboard when he was exhausted !
Yeah, let's make the people that cut around in our insides to save our lives work two days in a row. But make sure no truck driver will ever go beyond his allowed time frame!! Priorities, people!
Truck drivers are not allowed to drive more than 10 hours but Doctors can work and perform surgeries with a lack of sleep. Granted this is in China but I know many a new MD working hospital shifts just as long here in the US.
They sleep when they can, poor guy didn't make it to the sleeping room for Dr's , just too tired to travel across the Hospital and he is near the Surgery if needed.
Why do they force doctors to work long hours like this? They are more prone to make mistakes the longer they work.
WOW! What a Fantastic Mind, Skill and Will. AND, he performed them without difficulty and the Patients are doing Wonderfully! So, people talking about him operating on them, sleep deprivation and all that crap - YOU'RE NOT A DOCTOR! You have no idea what type of training, will, mind and expertise this man has. Obviously, you're not on his level, NOR can you imagine it. Some people have no idea what it means to be ABOVE THE NORM. When you are, this is what you do, and more. Feebs.
I think they meant the operation lasted 28 hours and not that he enter the operation 20 hours into his shift. Idk if you change surgeon in the middle of the operation.
A lot of people don't see this side of medicine, especially in the hospital. Its not all Greys Anatomy and cute interactions; there's hours research and formulation. Nurses in hospitals work 12hour shifts, doctors work (typically in the US in the hospitals I work) 72 shifts on-call. Straight. They have teams and residents behind them also. The idea behind the longer hours is continuity of care for the patient. Handing off your patient to different people inherently looses information and time. I'm not saying that that it's not an outdated system, but patients come first. This doctor probably only had a few minutes between his next surgery case to take a quick nap. Most hospitals I've been in have call rooms and private kitchens for doctors. Believe me, they are taken care off. I work 12 hr shifts, there are days I need to put my head down to keep going. =]
Overworked, doctors are human too
No one should have such insane work shifts. Especially when they're responsible for someone else's health.
Sue...for me better changed and give good suggestuon and effort..it is much better than sue...i have to do double task as some people said hosp staff is over load???i dont how true is that yes it make us tirwd and we cannot give good service as we cannot cope
Speaks to the lack of qualified surgeons in China maybe?
И я так когда то засыпала
Reminds me of another famous photo...
So?
How can they work them that hard honestly they already do enough
Heroes!
yeah, he did indeed deserve a nap, maybe in a better bed, but he didn't mind it seems
dedication? No. Malpractice.
Zzzzzzz... Uh what?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I'M TAKING NAP! You wanna take a nap? I take a nap right here.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
wrong job.