Before the surgery begins, the Chief Surgeon routinely pinches the patient's abdominal skin with forceps. If the patient doesn't scream in pain, it indicates that the anesthesia has preliminarily taken effect and cutting can commence.
Why is it only called preliminary? It's because each person's reaction to surgery, including pain perception, varies. The reasons for these differences might be the variability in the patient's absorption and metabolism of the anesthetic. Some patients metabolize the drug quickly, while others do it slowly. Since we cannot accurately assess these individual metabolic differences before surgery, adjustments can only be made during the procedure as needed.
The confirmation of no pain from pinching before incision by the Chief Surgeon does not assure that the patient will not experience pain during the surgery. Continuous intraoperative monitoring by the anesthesiologist ensures the patient's safety and comfort during the procedure.
