Minor Surgery Course

Lesson 1 • Preoperative Assessment and Preparation

Guides systematic preoperative evaluation and patient preparation protocols. Prepares students to optimise patient readiness before any procedure.

Lesson 2 • Informed Consent and Ethics

Teaches the legal and ethical requirements for valid informed consent in minor surgery. Connects ethical obligations to patient safety and professional accountability.

Lesson 3 • Scope and Setting of Minor Surgery

Defines minor surgery boundaries, appropriate outpatient settings, and facility requirements. Anchors all later procedural decisions in setting-appropriate standards.

Lesson 1 • Sterile Field Establishment and Maintenance

Covers setup, boundaries, and ongoing maintenance of the sterile field during procedures. Ensures students can sustain sterility throughout an entire case.

Lesson 2 • Instrument Sterilisation and Waste Disposal

Explains sterilisation methods, instrument tracking, and regulated medical waste handling. Completes the infection-control cycle from setup through post-procedure cleanup.

Lesson 3 • Surgical Hand Hygiene and Gowning

Teaches standardised surgical scrub, hand rub, gowning, and gloving procedures. Directly reduces contamination risk at the start of every procedure.

Lesson 4 • Skin Preparation and Antisepsis

Details site-specific skin antiseptic selection, application technique, and drying time requirements. Directly precedes incision and links asepsis to procedural readiness.

Lesson 1 • Pharmacology of Local Anaesthetic Agents

Reviews mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity profiles of common local anaesthetics. Provides the pharmacological basis for all anaesthetic selection decisions.

Lesson 2 • Local Infiltration Anaesthesia

Teaches injection technique, tissue distribution, and dosing for direct infiltration anaesthesia. Foundational skill applied in nearly every minor surgical procedure.

Lesson 3 • Recognising and Managing Anaesthetic Complications

Prepares students to identify and respond to local anaesthetic systemic toxicity and allergic reactions. Ensures patient safety when complications arise during anaesthesia.

Lesson 4 • Regional Nerve Block Techniques

Covers anatomy-guided nerve block techniques relevant to outpatient minor surgery. Expands anaesthetic options for procedures requiring broader or deeper analgesia.

Lesson 1 • Scalpel Technique and Incision Planning

Teaches blade selection, grip styles, and controlled incision execution along planned lines. Directly determines wound quality and healing outcomes.

Lesson 2 • Identification and Function of Surgical Instruments

Catalogs scalpels, scissors, forceps, retractors, and haemostatic instruments by name and function. Enables accurate instrument selection and communication in the surgical field.

Lesson 3 • Tissue Dissection and Handling Principles

Covers blunt and sharp dissection, tissue plane identification, and atraumatic handling. Minimises tissue damage and supports optimal healing.

Lesson 1 • Suture Materials and Needle Selection

Compares absorbable and non-absorbable sutures, needle types, and tissue-specific indications. Enables evidence-based material selection before any closure begins.

Lesson 2 • Basic Suturing Techniques

Teaches simple interrupted, continuous, and mattress suture techniques with correct knot tying. Forms the core manual skill set for primary wound closure.

Lesson 3 • Layered and Deep Tissue Closure

Covers fascial, subcutaneous, and dermal layer closure to eliminate dead space and reduce tension. Builds on basic suturing to address multi-layer wounds.

Lesson 4 • Skin Closure Adjuncts and Alternatives

Introduces staples, adhesive strips, tissue adhesives, and wound closure tapes as closure adjuncts. Expands closure options for varied wound types and locations.

Lesson 1 • Skin and Soft Tissue Excisions

Covers excision of benign skin lesions, lipomas, and epidermal cysts with appropriate margins. Integrates incision planning, dissection, and closure skills in a unified workflow.

Lesson 2 • Nail Procedures

Covers partial and total nail avulsion, nail bed repair, and matricectomy for ingrown nails. Builds procedural competency for a high-volume outpatient complaint.

Lesson 3 • Minor Wound Debridement and Repair

Covers traumatic wound assessment, debridement, irrigation, and primary or delayed closure decisions. Applies procedural skills to acute wound management.

Lesson 4 • Incision and Drainage of Abscesses

Teaches abscess identification, incision placement, cavity exploration, and packing technique. Addresses one of the most frequent outpatient surgical presentations.

Lesson 1 • Recognising and Managing Wound Complications

Trains identification and initial management of infection, dehiscence, haematoma, and seroma. Enables timely intervention to prevent minor complications from escalating.

Lesson 2 • Suture and Staple Removal

Provides timing guidelines and technique for suture and staple removal by anatomical region. Prevents premature wound dehiscence and minimises scar formation.

Lesson 3 • Patient Discharge Instructions and Follow-Up

Covers written and verbal discharge instruction content, activity restrictions, and follow-up scheduling. Empowers patients to participate actively in their own recovery.

Lesson 4 • Wound Dressing Selection and Application

Teaches dressing type selection based on wound characteristics and applies correct dressing technique. Directly influences wound healing environment and infection prevention.

Lesson 1 • Incident Reporting and Safety Culture

Introduces near-miss reporting, root cause analysis, and safety culture principles for continuous improvement. Transforms individual events into systemic learning opportunities.

Lesson 2 • Haemorrhage Recognition and Control

Teaches intraoperative and postoperative haemorrhage classification, assessment, and escalating control measures. Addresses the most common life-threatening outpatient surgical complication.

Lesson 3 • Outpatient Emergency Preparedness

Establishes emergency equipment requirements, team roles, and drill protocols for outpatient settings. Creates the organisational foundation for effective emergency response.

Lesson 4 • Anaphylaxis and Allergic Reactions

Covers recognition, grading, and stepwise pharmacological management of anaphylaxis in the outpatient setting. Ensures rapid, protocol-driven response to life-threatening allergic events.