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Fundamentals of Dissection

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Abstract

Appropriate surgical technique requires a mastery of the basic skills of surgical dissection. This chapter provides a brief overview of considerations of lighting, positioning, and preoperative imaging as they relate to surgical dissection. It discusses basic aspects of dissection, such as the differences between sharp and blunt dissection techniques and their applications, as well as the use of proper traction and counter-traction during dissection. More advanced, instrumental methods of dissection, encompassing electrosurgery and water dissection, are reviewed. Approaches to dissection of more challenging tissue planes, including those of neoplastic and inflamed tissues, are explored as well. Finally, the chapter ends with a discussion of cognitive biases, how they can relate to surgical dissection, and the importance of a surgeon’s awareness of them.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Neal S. McCall

  2. Jefferson Pancreas, Biliary and Related Cancer, Center and the Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Harish Lavu

  3. Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Harish Lavu

Authors
  1. Neal S. McCall
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  2. Harish Lavu
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Correspondence to Harish Lavu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Francesco Palazzo

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McCall, N.S., Lavu, H. (2018). Fundamentals of Dissection. In: Palazzo, F. (eds) Fundamentals of General Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75656-1_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75656-1_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-75655-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-75656-1

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