Category Archives: Basic Skills for the OR

PUBLISHED: Suturing Techniques

Suturing Techniques
Deanna Rothman, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Proper wound closure techniques are essential for promoting healing, minimizing scarring, and reducing postoperative complications. By providing a detailed, step-by-step guide to various suturing methods, this video serves as an invaluable tool for surgical training programs and continuing medical education. The detailed explanation of each technique, coupled with practical demonstrations, provides a valuable resource for both beginner and experienced practitioners. By emphasizing proper technique, instrument handling, and tissue management, this demonstration contributes significantly to the development of essential surgical skills.

PREPRINTED: Suturing Techniques

Suturing Techniques
Deanna Rothman, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Proper wound closure techniques are essential for promoting healing, minimizing scarring, and reducing postoperative complications. By providing a detailed, step-by-step guide to various suturing methods, this video serves as an invaluable tool for surgical training programs and continuing medical education. The detailed explanation of each technique, coupled with practical demonstrations, provides a valuable resource for both beginner and experienced practitioners. By emphasizing proper technique, instrument handling, and tissue management, this demonstration contributes significantly to the development of essential surgical skills.

PREPRINTED: Suture Selection and Knot Tying Demonstration

Suture Selection and Knot Tying Demonstration
Deanna Rothman, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Knot tying is a fundamental skill in the surgical field, essential for securing sutures, ligating vessels, and creating secure anastomoses. The art of knot tying requires precision, dexterity, and a thorough understanding of suture materials and techniques. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview and demonstration of surgical knot tying.

PUBLISHED: Back Table Setup for an Open Umbilical Hernia Repair

Back Table Setup for an Open Umbilical Hernia Repair
Devon Massey, CSTShirin Towfigh, MD
Beverly Hills Hernia Center

Surgical instrument tables are considered as basic furniture for the operating room (OR). The largest table, typically rectangular or “L”-shaped, serves as a central hub for arranging and storing sterile supplies until needed during surgical procedures. The Mayo stand is an extension of the large table. It is small, height-adjustable, and intended to hang over the operating table and hold instruments and other sterile items for immediate use and within easy reach for the scrub nurse. Both the large table and the smaller Mayo stand are often referred to as back tables.

The specific equipment and arrangement of the back table may vary depending on the type of surgery and the surgeon’s preferences. This video provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to the back table setup for an open umbilical hernia repair surgery. It covers the preparation of the surgical field, the handling of sterile supplies, and the organization of the surgical tray. Additionally, it discusses the importance of adhering to sterile technique and the surgeon’s preferences during the procedure.

PUBLISHED: Surgical Staplers

Surgical Staplers
Brandon Buckner, CST, CRCST
Lamar State College Port Arthur (TX)

For nearly two centuries, surgeons have been using mechanical devices to approximate tissues and facilitate their healing process. Currently, surgical staplers are widely used and have become essential tools in surgery. Staples facilitate rapid wound closure, hence shortening the duration of the surgical procedure. In comparison to intradermal sutures, stapling is associated with better cosmetic outcomes.

Staplers are classified into five categories: circular, linear, linear cutting, ligating, and skin staplers. With distinct names, color-coded features, and variations in length and tissue thickness, each stapler serves a specific purpose in the surgical setting. The distinct characteristics of various tissue types in the human body significantly influence the selection of staples. This video aims to provide a comprehensive overview of stapling instruments and their associated use.

PUBLISHED: Laparoscopic Instruments

Laparoscopic Instruments
Brandon Buckner, CST, CRCST
Lamar State College Port Arthur (TX)

The origins of laparoscopic surgery trace back to the introduction of diagnostic laparoscopy in the 1960s. Subsequently, the approach underwent a notable evolution, transitioning from a primarily diagnostic procedure to a surgical technique. Laparoscopy, a type of minimally invasive surgery, was introduced to address issues related to significant tissue trauma, large cosmetic scars, and prolonged hospitalizations. This video provides a step-by-step demonstration of the assembly, disassembly, use, and handling of laparoscopic tools on the example of a basic Karl Storz laparoscopy kit.

PUBLISHED: Opening Sterile Surgical Instrument Containers

Opening Sterile Surgical Instrument Containers
Brandon Buckner, CST, CRCSTCrystal Romero
Lamar State College Port Arthur (TX)

In contemporary healthcare settings, the need to balance efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental responsibility has led to the widespread adoption of reusable containers for surgical instruments. This video demonstrates the advantages of employing reusable rigid containers for surgical instruments, using a laparoscopic set from Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas as a case study.

PUBLISHED: Opening Sterile Surgical Packs

Opening Sterile Surgical Packs
Brandon Buckner, CST, CRCST
Lamar State College Port Arthur (TX)

Surgical site infection (SSI) poses a significant risk to patients undergoing surgery. The prevalence of SSI is influenced by various factors. Within an ideal perioperative environment, exclusively sterile surgical instruments are employed. Care should be taken to thoroughly explore all methods of maintaining a contamination-free operating room (OR) environment.

The proper opening of sterile surgical instrument packs has critical importance in maintaining aseptic conditions in the OR. This video demonstrates all the nuances of this process, emphasizing the importance of package integrity checks and adherence to strict protocols for sterile surgical attire.

PUBLISHED: Surgical Sutures

Surgical Sutures
Brandon Buckner, CST, CRCSTCrystal Romero
Lamar State College Port Arthur (TX)

Surgical sutures, an essential component of wound closure, are designed to facilitate the healing process. Most surgical or traumatic wounds require approximation of the wound edges of some kind. Typically, this is more often performed using sutures, rather than staples or surgical adhesives. Suturing provides a number of advantages, including reduced rates of wound dehiscence and higher resistance to tension compared to alternative methods of approximation.

PUBLISHED: Scalpels

Scalpels
Brandon Buckner, CST, CRCST
Lamar State College Port Arthur (TX)

Surgical instruments have a long history, but their modern versions have only been around for a relatively short period of time. Available in different shapes and sizes for diverse surgeries, contemporary scalpel blades and handles are typically crafted from hardened and tempered steel, stainless steel, and high carbon steel, with blade shapes designed according to their intended use. Recognized as indispensable surgical tools, scalpel blades contribute to precise incisions and minimal scarring, which is particularly crucial in minimally invasive, ophthalmic, cardiovascular, and endoscopic surgeries. Cutting in a firm and controlled way, usually at angles of 30–90 degrees from the tissues, necessitates holding the instrument in various ways, often placing a steadying forefinger along the back of the instrument. The tissue through which the scalpel is incising should also be steadied and put under a slight degree of tension.

The demonstration of surgical scalpels in this video provides valuable insights into their usage. The handles are available in different designs, serving two functions: fitting the appropriate size of surgical blades and ensuring a firm hold to reduce the chance of slipping.

Surgical blades come in sterile packaging, and the number on a surgical blade communicates both its size and shape. This video demonstration aids in understanding how each blade is tailored to meet certain demands in surgery.