Tools of the Trade and Rules of the Road

This practical, portable handbook is designed to teach surgical residents the basic tasks they are often not formally taught, but are expected to know. The book gives step-by-step, easy-to-follow, thoroughly illustrated instructions on every phase of planning and executing a surgical procedure. The first section covers patient preparation, including positioning, skin sterilization, draping the patient, use of local anesthesia, incisions, and interpretation of data from preoperative tests. The next section describes basic operative skills such as surgical exposure, hemostasis, various wound closures, and dressings. The next section details specific maneuvers used in various surgical procedures, including laparoscopic surgery and endoscopy. Other sections cover techniques and troubleshooting in the intensive care unit and topics such as AIDS in the operating room and use of computers. An Appendix gives essential pointers on knot tying and suturing, needles and sutures, scalpels, scissors, forceps, and electrocoagulation