What is a major surgery? - involves extensive reconstruction or alteration in body parts; poses great
risks to well-being. (coronary artery bypass, colon resection, removal of larynx, resection of lung lobe)
What is a minor surgery? - involves minimal alteration in body parts; designed to correct deformities;
involves minimal risks to well-being. (cataract extraction, facial plastic surgery, tooth extraction)
What is an elective surgery? - performed on basis of patient's choice; is not essential and not always
necessary for health (bunionectomy, facial plastic surgery, hernia repair, breast reconstruction)
What is an urgent surgery? - Necessary for patient's health; often prevents development of additional
problems; not necessarily an emergency (excision of cancerous tumor, removal of gallbladder, vascular
repair of obstructed artery)
What is an emergency surgery? - Must be done immediately to save life or preserve function of body
part (repair of perforated appendix or traumatic amputation; control of internal hemorrhaging)
What is a diagnostic surgery? - Surgical exploration performed to confirm diagnosis; often involves
removal of tissue for further diagnostic testing (breast mass biopsy, exploratory laparotomy)
What is an ablative surgery? - Excision or removal of diseased body part (amputation, removal of
appendix or gallbladder
What is palliative surgery? - Relieves or reduces intensity of disease symptoms; does not produce cure
(colostomy, debridement pf necrotic tissue, resection of nerve roots)
What is reconstructive/restorative surgery? - Restores function or appearance to traumatized or
malfunctioning tissues (internal fixation of fractures; scar revision)
What is a procurement for transplant? - Removal of organs and/or tissues from a person pronounces
brain dead or from living donors for transplantation into another person (kidney, heart, or liver transplant)
What is constructive surgery? - Restores function lost or reduced as a result of congenital anomalies
(repair of cleft palate; closure of trial septal defect in heart)
What is cosmetic surgery? - Performed to improve personal appearance (blepharoplasty for eyelid
deformities, rhinoplasty to reshape nose)
ASA I - A normal healthy patient; no biological, physiological, organic disturbance; healthy, nonsmoking;
no or minimal alcohol use
ASA II - A patient with mild systemic disease: Mild diseases only without substantive functional
limitations. Examples include (but not limited to): current smoker, social alcohol drinker, pregnancy,
obesity, well-controlled DM/HTN, mild lung disease
ASA III - A patient with severe systemic disease; substantive functional changes with one or more
moderate-to-severe diseases (poorly controlled DM or HTN, COPD, morbid obesity, alcohol abuse, active
hepatitis)
ASA IV - A patient with a a severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life (Recent (less than 3
months) MI, CVA, TIA, ongoing cardiac ischemia, sepsis, end stage renal disease not undergoing
regularly scheduled dialysis)
ASA V - A moribund patient who is not expected to survive without the operation (examples include
ruptured abdominal /thoracic aneurysm, massive trauma, intracranial bleed with mass effect, ischemic
bowel
ASA VI - A patient declared brain dead whose organs are being removed for donor purposes. Wide
variety of dysfunctions that are being managed to optimize blood flow to the heart and organs (aggressive
fluid replacement and BP meds)
What is dehiscence and what do you do if this happens? - The wound comes open. You would cover
the wound with a sterile soaked gauze
What is evisceration and what do you do if this happens? - Organs starts coming out of wounds. You
would cover with sterile gauze.
How can you prevent evisceration from happening? - Splinting technique- you cover the wound with a
pillow or something
What can also cause dehiscence and evisceration? - Straining caused by constipation
What do we start a patient with after surgery? - Ice chips (clear liquid)
What do we start giving to patients if they are able to tolerate ice chips? - Move them to full liquids
(adding milk) such as creamy soups
Before surgery, what should allergies should we assess for in patients? - Shellfish, iodine, bedodine,
latex
What is a surgical timeout? - Before surgeon opens the body- verifies patient, site, allergies, and
implants
risks to well-being. (coronary artery bypass, colon resection, removal of larynx, resection of lung lobe)
What is a minor surgery? - involves minimal alteration in body parts; designed to correct deformities;
involves minimal risks to well-being. (cataract extraction, facial plastic surgery, tooth extraction)
What is an elective surgery? - performed on basis of patient's choice; is not essential and not always
necessary for health (bunionectomy, facial plastic surgery, hernia repair, breast reconstruction)
What is an urgent surgery? - Necessary for patient's health; often prevents development of additional
problems; not necessarily an emergency (excision of cancerous tumor, removal of gallbladder, vascular
repair of obstructed artery)
What is an emergency surgery? - Must be done immediately to save life or preserve function of body
part (repair of perforated appendix or traumatic amputation; control of internal hemorrhaging)
What is a diagnostic surgery? - Surgical exploration performed to confirm diagnosis; often involves
removal of tissue for further diagnostic testing (breast mass biopsy, exploratory laparotomy)
What is an ablative surgery? - Excision or removal of diseased body part (amputation, removal of
appendix or gallbladder
What is palliative surgery? - Relieves or reduces intensity of disease symptoms; does not produce cure
(colostomy, debridement pf necrotic tissue, resection of nerve roots)
What is reconstructive/restorative surgery? - Restores function or appearance to traumatized or
malfunctioning tissues (internal fixation of fractures; scar revision)
What is a procurement for transplant? - Removal of organs and/or tissues from a person pronounces
brain dead or from living donors for transplantation into another person (kidney, heart, or liver transplant)
What is constructive surgery? - Restores function lost or reduced as a result of congenital anomalies
(repair of cleft palate; closure of trial septal defect in heart)
What is cosmetic surgery? - Performed to improve personal appearance (blepharoplasty for eyelid
deformities, rhinoplasty to reshape nose)
ASA I - A normal healthy patient; no biological, physiological, organic disturbance; healthy, nonsmoking;
no or minimal alcohol use
ASA II - A patient with mild systemic disease: Mild diseases only without substantive functional
limitations. Examples include (but not limited to): current smoker, social alcohol drinker, pregnancy,
obesity, well-controlled DM/HTN, mild lung disease
ASA III - A patient with severe systemic disease; substantive functional changes with one or more
moderate-to-severe diseases (poorly controlled DM or HTN, COPD, morbid obesity, alcohol abuse, active
hepatitis)
ASA IV - A patient with a a severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life (Recent (less than 3
months) MI, CVA, TIA, ongoing cardiac ischemia, sepsis, end stage renal disease not undergoing
regularly scheduled dialysis)
ASA V - A moribund patient who is not expected to survive without the operation (examples include
ruptured abdominal /thoracic aneurysm, massive trauma, intracranial bleed with mass effect, ischemic
bowel
ASA VI - A patient declared brain dead whose organs are being removed for donor purposes. Wide
variety of dysfunctions that are being managed to optimize blood flow to the heart and organs (aggressive
fluid replacement and BP meds)
What is dehiscence and what do you do if this happens? - The wound comes open. You would cover
the wound with a sterile soaked gauze
What is evisceration and what do you do if this happens? - Organs starts coming out of wounds. You
would cover with sterile gauze.
How can you prevent evisceration from happening? - Splinting technique- you cover the wound with a
pillow or something
What can also cause dehiscence and evisceration? - Straining caused by constipation
What do we start a patient with after surgery? - Ice chips (clear liquid)
What do we start giving to patients if they are able to tolerate ice chips? - Move them to full liquids
(adding milk) such as creamy soups
Before surgery, what should allergies should we assess for in patients? - Shellfish, iodine, bedodine,
latex
What is a surgical timeout? - Before surgeon opens the body- verifies patient, site, allergies, and
implants
