Basic Surgical Skills (Edinburgh)

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About the course

Overview: This two day course, aimed at FY1 and above, is designed to instil core surgical skills at the very start of a surgeon's training by teaching the correct basic techniques. These courses are run from our Surgical Skills Centre in Edinburgh eight times per year, and also from centres in Dundee, Nottingham and overseas. The faculty is always drawn from a specially selected group of surgeons, each with a wide range of knowledge and experience in teaching.

Target Audience: FY1 (6 months in a surgical training post is a pre-requisite), FY2, ST1/CT1 & ST2/CT2 and SCP's. 

Learning Style: Course participants have access to pre-course material online giving them the opportunity to view the basic concepts covered by the course. The course is held over two days with a series of demostrations and extensive hands on sessions. Techniques are practiced using a combination of prepared animal tissue, synthetic models and simulation.

Aims & Objectives: Junior trainees pursuing a career in surgery are expected to be able to perform a range of basic surgical skills prior to commencing specialty surgical training. These skills are not specifically covered during their foundation or core training placements. The Basic Surgical Skills courses have been running since 1994, with the involvement of all four UK and Ireland Colleges of Surgeons, and are designed to teach the essential basic technical skills required of a surgeon, instilling good practice at the early stages of training. Participants are introduced to the principles underpinning the various techniques being taught and practice these techiques with individual tuition and under the expert supervision of consultant surgeons. Participants are assessed throughout the course and issued with a certificate upon successful completion.

Learning Outcomes: On completion of this course, participants should be able to: 1) Explain the principles of good practice in theatre etiquette, knot tying, suturing, haemostasis, anastomosis, surgical diathermy and ergonomics for endoscopic surgery. 2) Describe correct handling and use of surgical instruments. 3) Demonstrate an appropraite procedure for 'gowning' and 'gloving' in accordance with recommended standards of practice. 4) Tie a variety of reliable knots, including surgical reef knots and the Aberdeen knot and tying at depth. 5) Suture a variety of tissues, including skin, bowel, vascular tissue and tendons effectively. 6) Perform abscess drainage and contaminated wound debridement in accordance with the basic principles of wound management. 7) Demonstrate basic techniques for small bowel, vascular and tendon anastomoses. 8) Demonstrate an understanding of basic diathermic technique. 9) Demonstrate effective management of ergonomic tissue commonly encountered with endoscopic surgery.

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