Surgical Technology

Everybody keeps asking me what it is that I do.  With good reason.  When you think of the title Surgical Technologist, you think it has something to do with surgery and something to do with technology.  But what?  Well gather 'round kids, let me break it down for you.  It's kind of like helping your father fix his car when you were nine years old.

"No.  That 40 stuff over there....rag....wrench....give me a hammer...."

Have you ever seen MASH?  You know the person that is scrubbed in handing the surgeon the stuff he/she asks for?

"No.  Clamp it right there....retract that there....sponge....debakey....give me a suture....suction...."

Well that's what a Surgical Technologist does.  They are the personel scrubbed in surgery that gives the surgeon most everything they ask for.  And who gives me my stuff you ask?  Since I'm scrubbed in, I and all parties directly performing the surgery, dressed in disposable, sterile gowns and gloves, can't really put things on the surgical field now can we?  We're scrubbed in.  Sterile and there for the patient at all times.  If we need something sterile at the field, I ask the nurse in the room, who is not gowned in sterile attire, to go get it and open up its sterile package to me.  I then hand whatever the contents may be to the surgeon.  I'm essentially the coordinator of...things at the surgical field.  Sometimes asking for different instruments to be opened when I see something that may require an instrument I don't have.  All as the doc keeps pluggin' away.

I work from head to foot.  Working at a level one trauma center, you pretty much have too.  And though I've scrubbed hearts for a month, they have their own, secluded team.  I do everything, head to foot, BESIDES hearts.  Though I could definately scrub one sufficiently if called upon.  No, I do everything else.  I tend to say that I'm not a brain surgeon, but I'm his right hand man.