It will definitely give you an advantage when seeking employment. So, if you are considering Surgical First Assistant as a career choice I highly recommend attending an institution that offers it as a degree program. While you can still find programs that offer the certificate, and that is the minimum requirement, more and more hospitals are requiring an AS. Now programs have advanced and are both are offered as an Associate Degree. When I started 25 years ago as a Surgical Technologist it was only offered as a certificate program. $80,000 more or less depending on location What Education If Any Is Needed? This leads to a safe outcomes for patients. team functions in unison with each member having very specific roles. So, as you can see.the assistant helps expedite things and save time for the surgeon throughout the day. Once the surgery is complete the assistant is usually left to close the incisions so that the surgeon can dictate and see the next patient. surgeon or the assistant holds the camera while each performs necessary surgical functions from their respective side. Then the surgeon holds the camera while the assistant places the ports on their side.Įither the. The assistant holds the camera and the surgeon places any ports need on his side. A small camera called a laparoscope is inserted into the port to see inside the abdomen.
The surgeon makes the initial incision and places the first port. for instance, during laparoscopic procedures there is a small incision for each port site. Assistants are allowed to make incisions. This is a safety precaution for all patients.Īfter the timeout the incision is made. A time out is performed to ensure everyone in the room knows the planned procedure and that everyone agrees that it is the correct side, procedure and patient. Now the surgeon, assistant, and tech are considered to be part of the sterile field. The surgeon and assistant return and the surgical tech gowns and gloves them. During this time the assistant helps with placing the monitoring equipment on the patient and then positioning for the specific procedure.Īt this point the surgeon and assistant scrub the hands while the circulating nurse preps the surgical site. Anesthesia uses specific medicines and gases to drift the patient off to sleep. Each surgeon and specialty requires different instruments, sutures, medicines, etc.Īt 7:30 the patient is brought into the room and moved over to the O.R. Also, making sure the surgeons preferences are covered. There first responsibility is to ensure that the team in the room has any special equipment needed for the specific case. The assistant is usually in the room around 7:00. A Day In The Lifeĭepending on the hospital or facility at which you are working, the first surgery of the day usually starts at 7:30. In other words you help stop bleeding when it occurs by suturing, cauterizing, use of certain chemical agents, or by other means. Hemo: Greek for blood and Stasis: Greek for stoppage or equilibrium. Often, the surgeon will do the portion of the procedure from his side and you will do the same on your side.Īnother function of the assistant is hemostasis. You stand across from the surgeon and perform such duties as suturing, and dissection of tissue. Basically as the surgeons second pair of hands. What Do You Really Do?Ī Surgical First Assistant assists the surgeon during surgery. Hand instruments to the surgeon during surgery.