This highly practical workshop emphasises a team based approach to microsurgical procedures and aims to enhance participant knowledge and skills in setting up for microsurgical cases and anticipating the procedural requirements of the surgeon. It includes optimising situation awareness and instrumentation handling skills using synthetic models.

Practical sessions involve participants working in pairs or independently on a range of microsurgical suture exercises which replicate the surgeon’s clinical requirements.  The workshop is designed to increase nurses’ knowledge of the microscope, instruments and the sutures used during microsurgical procedures.  Microvascular suturing skills will be honed on synthetic and animal tissue models.

Workshop Content

Presentations:

• Set-up and instrumentation
• Technical tips and non-technical skills
• The microscope: trouble-shooting
• Sutures
• Plastics, ENT, eye surgery and neurosurgery set ups and procedures, and key operative points

Practical Sessions:

• Understanding and handling the instruments
• Microscopes and sutures in-depth
• Dealing with problems
• Stitching and assisting using microsutures
• Practical suturing exercises using animal tissue
• Knot tying
• Hands-on practise on a workshop model
• Operating under the microscope -
  • ergonomics
  • finding the bundle
  • dissecting out vessel and tendon

Workshop Inclusions

• Synthetic models
• Didactic sessions
• All meals and refreshments
• Limited places to maximise practical learning time

Accreditation

Nurses may claim 7 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points. This educational activity will earn participants a Certificate of Completion for their CPD Portfolio.