The intercollegiate basic surgical skills course.

Mr. W.E.G. Thomas, Surgical Skills Tutor at the Royal College of Surgeons introduces this series of demonstrated lectures aimed at the student beginning to learn basic surgical skills. The programme provides detailed, well-illustrated examples of major surgical techniques and equipment. After an opening section looking at theatre etiquette the three modules begin. Module 1: open surgery includes topic areas: instrument handling; knot tying; suturing technique; skin lesion biopsy; abdominal incision and closure; haemostasis; lymph node dissection; bowel anstomosis; vascular anastomosis; vein patch. Module 2: trauma and orthopaedics includes topic areas: basic wound management; wound debridement; drain placement; tendon repair; principles of fractures; plastering techniques. Module 3: minimal access surgery includes topic areas: equipment; creating the pneumoperitoneum; port insertion; grasping and manipulation; manipulation and cutting; ligation; diathermy; electrosurgery.