There are lots of surgical tips, but some I feel are more important than others. I chose these as they were things I wasn't necessarily aware of as a new graduate, despite how helpful and important they are.
- Keep your scalpel blade exactly perpendicular to the skin. This reduces tissue damage and helps with neat closure and uneventful healing.
- Use a pencil grip when performing short, delicate movements for example small lumpectomies.
- Curved scissors are easier to manoeuvre, making them more precise for soft tissue surgery.
- Use the tips of the scissors as using the fulcrum creates crushing and tissue damage.
- Dissect carefully along the same tissue plane. Avoid making multiple planes of dissection which increases dead space and tissue trauma
- Only grasp suture DISTANT to the knot that will be cut.
- Always keep your suture in your field of vision. In other words, use your hands to pull the suture through versus pulling your needle drivers up behind your head (like I used to do, until Dr Wendy Archipow whacked me).
- Manipulate instruments with fingertips versus mid-finger.
- Insert the needle at 90 degrees to the skin.
- Keep tissues moist
-Tension decreases blood supply and increases the risk of wound breakdown
- When tissue is getting in the way and affecting your exposure, stop and think about what instruments could be used to assist you. Don't cut blindly. Gelpis, malleable retractors, Senn retractors, ring retractors OR never forget - a surgical assistant, can be very helpful.
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