A bed centered in an operating room sits empty as bustling feet covered by protective gear move hurriedly around it. A large wooden door leading to the room swings open, and an Air Force airman walks in. He's responsible for ensuring the room is ready for the forthcoming surgery.
Airman 1st Class Gustavo Lombana, a surgical technician with the 633rd Surgical Operations Squadron here, is familiar with that scene. He knows what comes next -- heading to the cabinet filled with scrubs and getting the list of required equipment for the procedure.
Lombana said surgical technicians are vital assets for doctors and nurses in preventing infections and preserving patient safety.
A surgical technician's main responsibility in an operating room is to ensure all surfaces are sterile so contaminations cannot be transferred to the patient during a procedure. Technicians are also tasked with providing the surgeon with necessary equipment while maintaining instrument accountability and discarding all used tools.
Dedication to Job
For Lombana, the duties of a surgical technician don't stop at the end of each surgery.
"The patient's life depends on my lifestyle. If I'm not healthy, then I can compromise the safety of the patient," he explained. "I don't allow that to be an option by obtaining enough sleep, having a good diet and exercising regularly."
Lombana said his dedication to health and the medical field was inspired by a life-changing experience during a church camping trip when he was 14 years old.
"We were playing volleyball and the ball ended up down in the lake," he said. "I had gone after the ball, but I couldn't swim and I started to drown. I didn't see anyone coming to help, and I thought, ‘This is it. I'm dying.'"
At that moment, Lombana's love for the medical career field ignited and he decided to help others who may feel as helpless as he did.
"From that point on,” he said, “I wanted to grow within the medical field. I went through [emergency medical technician] school, paramedic school and then joined the military."
Great Motivation
According to his supervisor, Air Force Staff Sgt. Ryan Donaldson, a surgical service technician assigned to the 633rd SGOS, Lombana has shown great motivation and determination to be trained in all aspects of his job in order to accomplish the mission at home and for future deployments.
"He's definitely an overachiever," Donaldson said. "His normal standard is somebody exceeding the standards. He really makes what he does look easy.”
Lombana said a surgical tech’s skills are employed worldwide.
"Anywhere you go, there will be a hospital with sick patients," he said. "In times of war, there will always be wounded warriors, and doctors will need surgical technicians helping to do whatever it takes to save a service member's life."