BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Fan fic writers: Royal London trauma centre

Willow · March 4, 2014 7:30 pm

I haven't a clue where to put this, but HLV seems the best bet. I have an appointment tomorrow morning at the Royal London's plastic surgeons trauma clinic, on the second floor, so if anyone wants some local colour/information about it please let me know, and I will do my best to provide it.

After all, about the only saving grace of having to go to the Royal London's plastic surgeons trauma clinic in the first place is that it may assist someone in writing something which I wish to read...

TeeJay · March 4, 2014 7:36 pm

Haha, why don't you snap a few clandestine pictures with your smartphone (if you have one)? I'd love to have some info since I was thinking about writing a Mary and Sherlock fic at some point that partly takes place in RLH.

Willow · March 4, 2014 7:44 pm

TeeJay wrote:
Haha, why don't you snap a few clandestine pictures with your smartphone (if you have one)? I'd love to have some info since I was thinking about writing a Mary and Sherlock fic at some point that partly takes place in RLH.

Alas, I do not possess a smart phone. I am probably the only person in London who does not possess a mobile phone at all because I invariably lose them and/or the charger.

On the other hand, I possess an iPad which takes pictures; I'll take some

RavenMorganLeigh · March 4, 2014 8:00 pm

Willow wrote:
I haven't a clue where to put this, but HLV seems the best bet. I have an appointment tomorrow morning at the Royal London's plastic surgeons trauma clinic, on the second floor, so if anyone wants some local colour/information about it please let me know, and I will do my best to provide it.

After all, about the only saving grace of having to go to the Royal London's plastic surgeons trauma clinic in the first place is that it may assist someone in writing something which I wish to read...

OH, please!!!!

Maybe you can slip in a questions about the plausibility of surgical shots? :-D

Ozymandias · March 4, 2014 8:27 pm

RavenMorganLeigh wrote:
Willow wrote:
I haven't a clue where to put this, but HLV seems the best bet. I have an appointment tomorrow morning at the Royal London's plastic surgeons trauma clinic, on the second floor, so if anyone wants some local colour/information about it please let me know, and I will do my best to provide it.

After all, about the only saving grace of having to go to the Royal London's plastic surgeons trauma clinic in the first place is that it may assist someone in writing something which I wish to read...
OH, please!!!!

Maybe you can slip in a questions about the plausibility of surgical shots? :-D

I agree. An another medical POV will always be welcome :-)

Willow · March 4, 2014 9:10 pm

RavenMorganLeigh wrote:
Willow wrote:
I haven't a clue where to put this, but HLV seems the best bet. I have an appointment tomorrow morning at the Royal London's plastic surgeons trauma clinic, on the second floor, so if anyone wants some local colour/information about it please let me know, and I will do my best to provide it.

After all, about the only saving grace of having to go to the Royal London's plastic surgeons trauma clinic in the first place is that it may assist someone in writing something which I wish to read...
OH, please!!!!

Maybe you can slip in a questions about the plausibility of surgical shots? :-D

Which kind of surgical shots do you have in mind? Please remember that we are talking about surgeons; wonderful people, without a doubt, but they do tend to be mono focused, and will probably assume that I'm talking about a cocktail bar.

In other words, if I enquire whether it's possible to shoot someone as surgery they will call belis's counterpart in London, and I may end up being sectioned until belis's counterpart turns up and points out that I am merely trying to ascertain the probability of something on a tv show...

TeeJay · March 4, 2014 9:12 pm

Besides, what would a plastic surgeon know about internal liver damage?

Willow · March 4, 2014 10:08 pm

TeeJay wrote:
Besides, what would a plastic surgeon know about internal liver damage?

They are surgeons. Frankly, being surgeons puts them into a world which the rest of us really have no hope, and frequently really have no desire, to follow.

On the other hand, being surgeons means they have a very good idea of the likelihood of someone suffering solely from being shot in the liver. There are, for example, things called ribs which can get in the way of a bullet; bits of splintered bone can do a great deal of damage.

They're surgeons. They really enjoy fixing people. Of course, I'm biased; I want them to fix me so I can depart on a five week cruise in a fortnights time, but my experience has been that they really enjoy fixing people...

TeeJay · March 4, 2014 10:25 pm

I was just kidding. Of course I know they all go through the same training and education.

Willow · March 4, 2014 10:45 pm

TeeJay wrote:
I was just kidding. Of course I know they all go through the same training and education.

I know.

On the other hand, ask belis. Surgeons are somewhat unlike the rest of us, though we can, usually, work it out.

The people we can't work out are orthos; the seriously weird thing about them is that no-one can work them out. My daughter did a stint at her old school on a careers afternoon, hoping to attract girls to medicine as a career; it turned out that every other medic there was a parent, rather than an old girl, but notwithstanding the major age gap, and the completely different specialisations, there was one thing they had totally in common.

Orthos are weird...

belis · March 5, 2014 7:16 am

RavenMorganLeigh wrote:
OH, please!!!! Maybe you can slip in a questions about the plausibility of surgical shots? :-D

Lol, there is nothing plausible about them. One of my surgical colleagues has laughed his head off at the position and size of a surgical scar. There is no way under the sun you could fix what was broken here through this incision. What we would be looking on in reality in opening the abdomen through a midline incision, cracking the chest open and most likely ending up on bypass for a while. Personally I think that would make great TV but on the other hand it may just a little bit to gory.

Orthos are weird and so are psychiatrists.

Last edited by belis (March 5, 2014 8:16 am)

Zatoichi · March 5, 2014 9:27 am

Sometimes I´m really grateful for a little lack of realism in TV..^^

Willow, I wish you all the best for your appointment!

Willow · March 5, 2014 2:20 pm

Hi all, and thanks for the good wishes

My appointment proceeded on text book lines, viz I get there a little early, the plastics people turned up much later, the medic argued with the surgeon, the surgeon won, and I suspect that when the local anaesthetic wears off I am going to really wish the medic had won.

So far, so stereotypical, but I managed to get a shot of the identical wheelchair to the one we found John sitting in at Leinster Gardens. There is an intriguing detail on it which will be revealed once I work out how to upload a photo

Sherlock Holmes · March 5, 2014 3:30 pm

belis wrote:
RavenMorganLeigh wrote:
OH, please!!!! Maybe you can slip in a questions about the plausibility of surgical shots? :-D
Lol, there is nothing plausible about them. One of my surgical colleagues has laughed his head off at the position and size of a surgical scar. There is no way under the sun you could fix what was broken here through this incision. What we would be looking on in reality in opening the abdomen through a midline incision, cracking the chest open and most likely ending up on bypass for a while. Personally I think that would make great TV but on the other hand it may just a little bit to gory.

Orthos are weird and so are psychiatrists.

Oh man, I would have loved to have seen Sherlock with his chest all cut open...but that's just me.

besleybean · March 5, 2014 5:12 pm

I seriously worry about you, sometimes!

belis · March 5, 2014 6:26 pm

Willow wrote:
My appointment proceeded on text book lines, viz I get there a little early, the plastics people turned up much later, the medic argued with the surgeon, the surgeon won, and I suspect that when the local anaesthetic wears off I am going to really wish the medic had won.

I wish you a speedy recovery and hopefully not to painful one.
There is really no wining with the surgeons when it comes to arguments. They will just not accept the defeat. lol

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
Oh man, I would have loved to have seen Sherlock with his chest all cut open...but that's just me.

There were two ways to do this scene. Either realistically or with artistic flair. The reality isn't pretty at all and would take a lot of effort to recreate. The way they have done it focusing on the mind palace was aesthetically very pleasing. Lazarus effect with Sherlock pulling through on his own will power or however you want to call it makes for a better dramatic effect than being put on bypass. So I just suspend my disbelief and enjoy the scene they created. I think though that the realistic alternative would be fun to film, particularly for special effects guys.

RavenMorganLeigh · March 5, 2014 7:36 pm

belis wrote:
RavenMorganLeigh wrote:
OH, please!!!! Maybe you can slip in a questions about the plausibility of surgical shots? :-D
Lol, there is nothing plausible about them. One of my surgical colleagues has laughed his head off at the position and size of a surgical scar. There is no way under the sun you could fix what was broken here through this incision. What we would be looking on in reality in opening the abdomen through a midline incision, cracking the chest open and most likely ending up on bypass for a while. Personally I think that would make great TV but on the other hand it may just a little bit to gory.

Orthos are weird and so are psychiatrists.

Seiously, OW! :-)

RavenMorganLeigh · March 5, 2014 7:37 pm

Willow wrote:
Hi all, and thanks for the good wishes

My appointment proceeded on text book lines, viz I get there a little early, the plastics people turned up much later, the medic argued with the surgeon, the surgeon won, and I suspect that when the local anaesthetic wears off I am going to really wish the medic had won.

So far, so stereotypical, but I managed to get a shot of the identical wheelchair to the one we found John sitting in at Leinster Gardens. There is an intriguing detail on it which will be revealed once I work out how to upload a photo

Awesome! I hope you're doing well, you are a treasure!

Willow · March 5, 2014 8:58 pm

belis wrote:
Willow wrote:
My appointment proceeded on text book lines, viz I get there a little early, the plastics people turned up much later, the medic argued with the surgeon, the surgeon won, and I suspect that when the local anaesthetic wears off I am going to really wish the medic had won.
I wish you a speedy recovery and hopefully not to painful one.
There is really no wining with the surgeons when it comes to arguments. They will just not accept the defeat. lol

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
Oh man, I would have loved to have seen Sherlock with his chest all cut open...but that's just me.
There were two ways to do this scene. Either realistically or with artistic flair. The reality isn't pretty at all and would take a lot of effort to recreate. The way they have done it focusing on the mind palace was aesthetically very pleasing. Lazarus effect with Sherlock pulling through on his own will power or however you want to call it makes for a better dramatic effect than being put on bypass. So I just suspend my disbelief and enjoy the scene they created. I think though that the realistic alternative would be fun to film, particularly for special effects guys.

Thank you! My daughter has also made a flying visit, provided me with a lengthy dissertation on death as a process not an event, which fortunately appears to be a good way off for me, explained to me the differing legal requirements in various places defining death, none of which I understand, and has gone on her way, if not rejoicing then content that the surgeon made the right call this morning. For a Med Reg there is no higher compliment possible

I think the reason why Moftiss preferred the ludicrous placing of the incision and the incredibly rare but nevertheless scientifically recorded Lazarus phenomenon to the blood and gore of the real thing is that they didn't want it to look like CSI; I very rarely watch tv but even I have seen some episodes of that show, and I suspect that they really didn't want to go there. They wanted us to focus on Sherlock rather than the special effects, and for most of us it worked.

It had another effect, though; if they'd shown us the realistic alternative it would be impossible to believe Sherlock's line about the bullet being surgery. Obviously many of us don't believe the line anyway, but an abdominal incision, a cracked chest and bypass would have made it blindingly obvious to even the most optimistic of viewers that he was talking nonsense, and Moftiss wanted, for whatever reasons, to provide an admittedly thin veneer of plausibility for Sherlock's claim.

Perhaps we will find out in S4...

nakahara · March 5, 2014 9:13 pm

I can only speak for myself, but for me the very sight of the bullet entering Sherlock′s body was ghastly gory and so painful I thought I might explode. If they showed him with his chest open I don′t know if I could stand it.