Surgical Technique

Surgical Services

Allied Health

Careers in Surgery

• Surgical Technician: Responsible for preparing the operating room & helping the physician prepare for surgery. They stay in the operating room to assist the surgeon during a procedure.

• Surgical Assistant: Responsible for prepping patients for the OR by examining them, updating their health records, and documenting any pertinent information in the office’s system.

• OR Nurse: Responsible for supervising the surgical technicians and assistants during a procedure as well as tracking a patient’s vital signs while they are under the knife.

• Surgeon: A physician who is trained to perform surgical procedures. It is a profession that demands exceptional manual dexterity and fine motor skills to carry out the techniques needed to investigate disease, repair or remove damaged tissues.

Multiple Choice

Job duties include preparing the operating room & helping the physician prepare for surgery. They stay in the operating room to assist the surgeon during a procedure.

• Surgical technician

• Surgical assistant

• OR nurse

Aseptic Technique

• Joseph Lister, a British surgeon, established the founding principles of aseptic technique.

• Before then, surgeons did not wash their hands before operating or disinfect their surgical instruments.

• The Centers for Disease Control estimate that hospital-acquired infections occur in about 1 percent of the 27 million surgical procedures performed each year.

• Aseptic technique means using practices and procedures to prevent contamination from pathogens.

• Healthcare workers use aseptic technique in surgery rooms, clinics, outpatient care centers, and other health care settings.

• Barriers protect the patient from the transfer of pathogens from a healthcare worker, from the environment, or from both.

• Some barriers used in aseptic technique include: sterile gloves, sterile gowns, masks for the patient and healthcare provider & sterile drapes.

Open Ended

Why is aseptic technique important?

Sterile Field

• The sterile field is the designated area which is free of germs that can infect people.

• The sterile field can include can include surfaces, instruments, even people.

• Once a surgeon, tech or nurse is “scrubbed in” (hands washed, adorned in sterile garb), then he or she is part of the sterile field.

• Once healthcare providers have on sterile barriers, they should only touch other sterile items.

• The sterile field has a vertical dimension that is important to be aware of, as is illustrated by this picture.

• Maintaining a sterile environment requires keeping doors closed during an operation. The more people present, the more opportunities for harmful bacteria to cause contamination.

Multiple Choice

The sterile field contains:

• people

• surgical instruments

• surfaces

• All options mentioned

Donning PPE

• OSHA defines personal protective equipment (PPE) as specialized clothing or equipment, worn by an employee for protection against infectious materials.

• Hand hygiene should always be performed prior to putting on PPE.

• Steps for putting on (donning) PPE on include:

• Gown

• Mask

• Eye protection

• Gloves

Doffing PPE

• Steps for taking off (doffing) PPE include:

• Gloves

• Gown

• Eye protection

• Mask

• Hand hygiene should always be performed after taking off PPE.

Multiple Choice

Gloves, gown, eye protection, mask is the correct order for:

• donning PPE

• doffing PPE

Instrument Classifications

• Surgical instruments are specially designed tools that are used to carry out specific actions during an operation. Surgical instruments can be divided into categories including:

• Cutting and Dissecting – These instruments usually have sharp edges or tips to cut through skin, tissue and suture material.

• Clamping and Occluding – Are used in many surgical procedures for compressing blood vessels or hollow organs, to prevent their contents from leaking.

• Retracting and Exposing – These surgical instruments are used to hold back, or retract organs and tissue so the surgeon has access to the operative area.

• Grasping and Holding – These instruments, as their name suggests, are used to grasp and hold tissue or blood vessels that may be in the way during a surgical procedure.

Multiple Choice

Type of tools used for compressing blood vessels or hollow organs, to prevent their contents from leaking.

• cutting & dissecting

• clamping & occluding

• retracting & exposing

• grasping & holding

Types of Surgical Instruments

• Surgical instruments are tools or devices that perform such functions as cutting, dissecting, grasping, holding, retracting, or suturing. Most surgical instruments are made from stainless steel.

• SCALPEL-Used for initial incision and cutting tissue. Consists of a blade and a handle.

• SCISSORS-Used for cutting tissue, suture, or for dissection.

• FORCEPS-Used for grasping tissue or objects. 

• CLAMPS-Also called locking forceps, these are ratcheted instruments used to hold tissue or objects, or provide hemostasis.

Types of Surgical Instruments

• NEEDLES & SUTURE-Needles come in many shapes and cutting edges for various applications. Suture can be absorbable, non absorbable, and is available in different sizes. 

• RETRACTORS- Used to hold an incision open, hold back tissues or other objects to maintain a clear surgical field, or reach other structures.

• SUCTION- Suction tips, combined with a suction source, help to remove debris and fluid from the surgical field.

• LAPAROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS- adapted to fit through narrow ports placed through the skin.

Multiple Choice

Type of instrument used for initial incision and cutting tissue. Consists of a blade and a handle.

• scalpel

• scissors

• forceps

• suction