Soft tissue surgery Flashcards
what are Halsteds principles of surgery?
gentle tissue handling meticulous haemostasis preservation of blood supply strict asepsis minimal tension accurate tissue apposition obliteration of dead space
what is the least traumatic cutting instrument?
scalpel
what are the three different grips for holding a scalpel?
pencil grip
fingertip grip
palm grip
what’s the pencil grip used for?
short precise incisions
what is the disadvantage of the pencil grip?
not much contact of the blade with the surface so not suitable for making longer incisions
what is the fingertip grip used for?
long incisions (smooth cut as large contact between blade and surface)
what is a disadvantage of using the fingertip grip?
not as precise as the pencil
what is the palm grip used for?
cutting thick tissue (can apply force)
rarely used
what are the ways of cutting with a scalpel?
press cutting
slide cutting
what is press cutting?
(stab incision)
apply pressure to the tissue the same way in which you are cutting
what is slide cutting?
applying pressure to the tissue at 90° to the incision
what can be done to tissue to make slide cutting more efficient?
pull tissue apart with other hand so it is taut
what are straight tip scissors used for cutting?
tough tissue - connective tissue and fascia
what are curved tipped scissors used for cutting?
delicate fine tissue
what is the backhand thumb to third finger grip used for?
cutting towards you dominant hand (means you don’t have to awkwardly angle your arm)
what is the backhand thumb and index grip used for?
cutting backwards on the patient towards yourself
how do electrosurgical instruments work?
generating heat in the tissue by passing a high frequency electrical current through it
what are the two forms of electricosurgical instruments?
monopolar
bipolar
what are the differences between monopoly and bipolar electrosurgical instruments?
monopolar has a handpiece and ground plate
bipolar just has a handpiece
what can monopolar electrosurgical instruments be used for?
cutting and coagulation
what can bipolar electrosurgical instruments be used for?
just coagulation
what are the types of forceps used?
toothed forceps
dressing forceps
Alice tissue forceps
doyen forceps
what are toothed forceps used for?
tissue manipulation
what should Allis tissue forceps be used for?
only gripping things that won’t be left in the patients at the end of surgery such as tumours