Chapter 245: Technique Table Division of Labor Chapter 245: Technique Table Division of Labor Yesterday, when I saw her changing dressings, I noticed she was quite smart, the kind of student who seemed to get it after just one look. Sun Yubo glanced at her, then turned and noticed that Tan Kelin had somehow come over and was also observing her wash her hands.
Hand washing was something Xie Wanying had practiced until it was second nature. The most difficult part, the space between the fingers, had to be scrubbed meticulously; she had to scrub up to 10 centimeters above the elbow, and each step had to be precise. After soap and water, she’d scrub with iodophor. Thinking about it, this kind of scrubbing was actually very damaging to the skin. One can imagine the toll on a female surgical doctor’s hands if she frequently scrubbed up for surgery. But for the sake of the patients, it had to be done cleanly.
Watching her scrub without the slightest concern for her own skin, the light in Tan Kelin’s eyes surveyed her delicate features before he turned and walked away.
Before the chief surgeon entered the scene, Doctor Sun, the assistant, had to lead her into the operating room to disinfect the patient.
At this time, the patient was asleep and had been given muscle relaxants by the anesthesiologist, so there would be no movement.
The surgical nurse opened the surgical pack, which contained drapes and disinfection equipment. Sun Yubo picked up the oval forceps, clamped a cotton ball with disinfectant, and began disinfecting the patient’s body, covering an area larger than the actual surgical field. First with iodine, then alcohol to de-iodinate.
After wiping with the disinfectant, the patient’s body was nearly the color of the antiseptic solution. Next, the surgical drapes were laid down, with a hole drape placed in the center over the surgical site, with a hole in the middle.
While draping, Dr. Liu Chengran, the first assistant, came in to double-check the disinfection area and ensure the drapes were accurately placed. Afterwards, it was actually the chief surgeon and first assistant who donned the surgical gowns first, followed by the second assistant, and occasionally a third or fourth assistant, with the nurses helping them put on their gowns.
The number of doctors arranged on the surgical table varied depending on the needs of the surgery. For minor surgeries, a chief surgeon plus a first assistant was enough; the instruments were managed by the instrument nurse and the circulating nurse, and the patient’s condition was monitored by the anesthesiologist. So there really was no need for anyone else.
For medium to large surgeries, you might add a second assistant and perhaps a third or fourth assistant, mainly for the benefit of medical students to observe and learn. The first assistant would delegate some tasks to the other assistants.
With three doctors on the operating table, it was crowded, with four or more it would be nearly impossible to see what was happening during the surgery.
Clearly, as no rookie, when Xie Wanying was first called into the operating room by Director Lv, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to see much by just standing by and that it was more useful to stand by the door ready to fetch things if needed to save a patient.
In a surgery, the role of the chief surgeon being the most important went without saying. The entire surgery was planned and performed by the chief surgeon. As long as the first assistant performed their supporting role well, that was basically enough.
The first assistant nearly took on all the tasks to assist the chief surgeon, such as providing exposure, keeping the site steady, and assisting with hemostasis and suturing.
It could be said that the first assistant was also very important. The smoothness of the surgery didn’t just depend on the chief surgeon’s proficiency but also on the first assistant’s cooperation. Without good coordination with the chief surgeon, the surgery might not proceed smoothly or on time.
Therefore, the first assistant was like a worm in the chief surgeon’s gut.
Luo Yanfen and the others claiming to know their teacher very well was clearly impossible. Only the first assistant could truly understand the chief surgeon.
To understand the teacher, one had to rise to the position of first assistant.
Becoming the teacher’s first assistant? Xie Wanying thought about it but didn’t dare to imagine further. Being just into her second day of clinical practice, she knew there was a distance to that day, and she must not aim too high before being skilled enough.
This was no small hospital but a top-tier tertiary hospital.