Yesterday we talked a little about the steps of surgery. We talked about the three phases of surgery, and how I use that to rescue poor bored students and bring them back from the edge. Today I want to keep talking about surgery. Understanding the framework is immensely helpful, but sometimes you need some good old fashioned tips. Here are some elementary ideas that would have taken you a long time to learn on your own, but will make surgery much more manageable.
– Always pee before a surgery. Even if it’s a simple cholecystectomy, it has the potential to take six hours.
– When you hold something, keep your elbows as close to your core as possible. This gives you stability and will help you ward of fatigue
– Always introduce yourself when you walk in the room. You need everyone to be on your side. (Yes, I still do this every time)
– Go get your gloves and ASK the scrub person if you can open them.
– When you sew, have your fingers in the holes when you load the suture but take them out to throw the stitch
– Generally speaking buried knots (below the skin) have very short tails and non-buried knots have longer tails
– Generally speaking, monofilament suture gets cut with a tail, and braided suture can be cut short (less likely to slip)
– Smile and participate in the conversation
– Ask about the surgeon’s specific recovery plan for this patient. (These vary surgeon to surgeon for almost everything so you shouldn’t ever look dumb with this question)
Sometimes you just need a nudge in the right direction. It’s so easy. It’s something you could have known, but you don’t, and it makes a world of difference. Speaking of making some simple improvements that make a world of difference don’t miss the August edition of The Physician Assistant Exam Scholar’s Newsletter. I packed it with simple… oh so simple ways to get better grades AND do better on your rotations. In fact, a few of them are so simple you’ll refuse to do them.
Anyway, get your copy here
Physician Assistant Exam Scholar’s Newsletter
Do you have any surgery tips? Let me know.
