Aseptic Technique: The Surgical Procedure

Key points to note

• Check that all the instruments needed are present and arranged in a convenient order before undertaking surgery.
• After use, each instrument should be placed back on a sterile drape.
• Maintaining aseptic technique is much easier, and procedures will be completed more rapidly when using an assistant.
• If an assistant is not available throughout the procedure, non-sterile surfaces that may need to be handled (for example an anaesthetic vaporiser) can be covered with a sterile wrapping, or touched using a large sterile swab which is then discarded.