Surgeon's assistant

An assistant surgeon, also known as a surgical assistant, surgeon's assistant, assistant in surgery or first assistant, is a healthcare professional who provides direct manual and/or instrumental assistance to meet the in-procedure demands of a surgeon during a surgical operation.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]} Most surgical assistants are trainee surgeons or junior doctors, but In the United Kingdom, a surgical care practitioner, who is not a qualified doctor, may perform simple surgical operations under the supervision of one.^[1]

Surgery in progress with a surgeon, surgeon's assistant and a head nurse visible

In the United States, the American College of Surgeons supports the concept that, ideally, the first assistant at the operating table should be a qualified surgeon or a resident in an approved surgical training program.^[9] Residents who have appropriate levels of training should be provided with opportunities to assist and participate in operations. If such assistants are unavailable, other physicians who are experienced in assisting may participate or a qualified practitioner licensed in the role of surgical assistant. The American College of Surgeons maintains that a physician who assists with an operation should be trained to participate in and actively assist the surgeon in safely completing the operation. When a surgeon is unavailable to serve as an assistant, a qualified surgical resident or other qualified health care professional, such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant with experience in assisting, may participate in operations, according to the ACS Statements on Principles.^[2] A qualified practitioner is defined as any licensed practitioner with sufficient training to conduct a delegated portion of a procedure without the need for more experienced supervision, according to the ACS Statements on Principles.^[2][3][5][6] The U.S. Bureau of Labor defines surgical assistants as individuals that assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons. They may, in accordance with state laws, help surgeons to make incisions and close surgical sites, manipulate or remove tissues, implant surgical devices or drains, suction the surgical site, place catheters, clamp or cauterize vessels or tissue, and apply dressings.^{[10][11][5][7]}

References

1. Erin Dean (10 December 2012). "The surgeons who are not doctors" Archived 2022-12-21 at the Wayback Machine. BBC News. Accessed February 2017.
2. "Statements on Principles". American College of Surgeons. April 12, 2016. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
3. "Physicians as Assistants at Surgery: 2018 Update". Archived from the original on 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
4. Haig, Scott (23 October 2009). "The Case of the Missing Assistant Surgeon". Time. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
5. "ABSA - American Board of Surgical Assistants". Absa.net. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
6. "ACS releases 2018 update to the Physicians as Assistants at Surgery report". The Bulletin. 1 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
7. "Texas Medical Board". Tmb.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
8. "Medicare: Payment Changes Are Needed for Assistants-at-Surgery". U.S. Government Accountability Office. 13 January 2004. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
9. "Statements on Principles". American College of Surgeons. April 12, 2016. Archived from the original on 2022-02-21. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
10. "2018 SOC Definitions" (PDF). Bls.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
11. "2018 Standard Occupational Classification System". Bls.gov. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.