Ch. 40 Surgical and Special Procedures

Electrosurgery

• An electrosurgical unit uses high-frequency electric current to incise tissues and coagulate the blood vessels.

• The procedure is recommended for destroying granulations, small polyps, or for performing a biopsy.

Laser surgery

• The procedure uses a laser light source to destroy the abnormal tissue. Laser surgery causes minimal damage to surrounding tissue and limited scar formation.

• This surgery is used to treat retinal diseases; excise tumors or lesions; cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding; remove moles, wrinkles, and warts; and perform cosmetic surgery.

Microsurgery

• performed using an operating microscope.

• The procedure is mostly used to perform ophthalmologic surgery.

Endoscopic procedures

This device enables the physician to view an area or cavity such as the colon, uterus, abdomen, or urinary bladder.

Cryosurgery

a procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy the tissue. A probe freezes the unwanted tissue on contact.

Preparing a patient for a procedure

• Ensuring that necessary consent forms have been signed

• Instructing the patient about the preoperative measures to be taken

• Educating the patient about medications or allergies

• Making sure that the patient empties his or her bladder prior to the surgery

• ensuring the surgical site is accessible and properly cleaned and shaved

Preparing a sterile field

• Identify and gather the materials required for the procedure.

• Ensure surgical asepsis.

• Set up the tray, using a prepackaged sterile setup.

• Set up the sterile field. Hands should be above the waist.

• Place the required supplies on the sterile field by flipping them over onto the tray from the peel-apart packages. The sterile glove method or sterile forceps method also can be used.

• If new items need to be added to the sterile field, the MA must never allow the instruments to come into contact with anything other than the sterile field.

Availability of local anesthetic

The MA should ensure the availability of type, strength, and amount of local anesthetic required for the procedure. The MA should cleanse the anesthetic vial using an antiseptic wipe and keep it ready for use.

Assisting the physician during surgery

• Handing over anesthetics, syringes, and supplies

• hold the soiled equipment basin

• retract tissue

• remove blood from the operative site

• hold the specimen container

Post-surgery patient education

• Provide the patient with postoperative instructions in a written form

• Schedule a follow-up appointment prior to the patient leaving the medical office.

• Informing the patients that the bandages should be kept dry and clean