Opening surgical supplies is the most fundamental and crucial skill in surgery. Now there are a couple of things to remember before opening supplies. First, be sure to perform a basic hand wash, and second ensure you have proper attire on. Make sure you have scrubs, scrub jacket, name badge, bonnet, mask and shoe covers should all be worn. Make sure that you have a mayo stand, a back table, and a ring stand, and make sure that they are all arranged at least 12 to 18 inches apart and away from adjacent walls, you need some space to maneuver around. Finally, the order of how we open supplies is also important. AST has a policy statement saying that the recommended sequence is back table, basin set, small wrapped items, like gowns, and small peel packs, and then suture.

So let’s go ahead and start by checking package integrity. Check for rips, stains, or wetness and for expiration date. Next place the sterile surgical pack in the center of the back table and position yourself directly in front of the surgical pack. Next we need to break the seal of the pack and grasp the top fold with my right hand and extend away from us. Next we open the second fold by grasping under this cuff and pulling toward us. For the third fold, we have to go to the lateral side of whichever cuff is on top, making sure we always stay 12 to 18 inches away. We're going to grab it with both hands about 1 inch inside the cuff and make sure that we do not touch the drape and nothing inside the pack moves. Then go to the other side, in the same sequence. Essentially, what we do is move the unsterile part of the pack and part of the surgical drape to a sterile area.

Hefei C&P hopes you have a great rest of the day in surgery and reminding you to be a superstar in your O.R.