Surgical Team Health Article

Definition

The surgical team is a unit providing the continuum of care beginning with preoperative care, and extending through perioperative (during the surgery) procedures, and postoperative recovery. Each specialist on the team, whether surgeon, anesthesiologist or nurse, has advanced training for his or her role before, during, and after surgery.

Purpose

Surgery, whether elective, required or emergency, is done for a variety of conditions that include:

• cosmetic procedures
• diagnostic and exploratory procedures
• treatment of acute, chronic, and infectious diseases of tissue or organs
• transplantation of organs
• resposition and enhancement of bone, ligaments, tendons, or organ conduits
• replacement or implantation of artificial or electronic devices

The crucial elements of surgery—surgical and operative procedures, pain control, patient safety, and blood and wound control—require individual expertise and high levels of concentration and coordination. Through a team effort, the patient is treated and monitored as he or she undergoes significant acts of bodily invasion and pain control that make up the surgical experience. These surgical acts are true for the most benign and superficial operations, as well as the most intense.

Demographics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics, 40 million inpatient surgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2000, followed closely by 31.5 million outpatient surgeries. Leading surgeries included:

• digestive system surgeries: 12 million
• musculoskeletal system surgeries: 7.4 million
• cardiovascular system surgeries: 6.8 million
• eye surgeries: 5.4 million

Description

The makeup of the surgical team depends upon the type of surgery, the precise procedures, and the location and the type of anesthesia utilized. The team may include surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nursing and technical staff who are trained in general surgery or in a particular surgical specialty. Intense surgeries require larger teams and more comprehensive recovery care. Even though minimally invasive procedures (e.g., laparoscopy or endoscopy) are conducted with small instruments and a video camera probe, they require specialized expertise and high technology knowledge. These procedures utilize smaller teams, create less extensive wounds, and yield quicker healing, but often require more operating time and may result in operative injuries.