Foreword

vii

Chapter 1

The Surgical Concept

1

Chapter 2

The Role of the Surgical Assistant

5

Chapter 3

Introduction to Basic Principles

11

Chapter 4

Basic Principles

15

Chapter 5

Success Concepts for Assisting in Surgery

27

Chapter 6

Basic Techniques

33

Chapter 7

Surgical Knots

39

Chapter 8

Instrument-Handling Techniques

57

Chapter 9

Suturing Techniques

71

Chapter 10

Dissecting Techniques

103

Chapter 11

Surgical Tasks

119

Clamp, Clamp, Cut, Tie Method of Ligation

122

Tying Around a Clamp with the Tip Toward the Tying Practitioner

126

Tying Around a Clamp with the Tip Away from the Tying Practitioner

132

Pass, Pass, Cut, Tie Method of Ligating a Vessel

135

Passing Sutures

137

Applying Surgical Clips for Hemostasis

140

Pedicle Hemostasis

143

Creation of a Pedicle within a Tissue Layer

144

Flashing a Clamp When Tying a Pedicle

148

Controlling Bleeding by Securing a Pedicle

150

Walking Down the Wound

152

Entering a Dense Tissue Layer

153

Dissecting through Muscle and Tissue

155

Entering the Peritoneum

156

Wound Closure

159

Chapter 12

Procedure within a Procedure

171

Chapter 13

The Role of a Surgical Assistant in a Typical Surgical Procedure

181

Chapter 14

Where do You Go from Here?

199

Glossary

205

Appendix

207

Index

209