There are many superb books on how to do operations but there are few or none on how to assist at them, and none written either by or for medical students or doctors. Therefore, the skills that make an expert surgical assistant are difficult to acquire. Normally, they can only be learnt in a haphazard way, by spending years in the operating theatre. This book describes those skills in a concise and systematic way, in surgery in general, and in ten different speciality areas. Although intended mainly for clinical-level medical students and junior doctors, other people who assist at surgical operations, including general practitioners, nurse assistants and surgical technologists, will also find it useful. Whether planning a career in surgery, or simply aiming for high marks in a surgical rotation, there are few better ways to impress a surgeon than by skilfully assisting at surgical operations.

' … describes general operating theatre conduct with the overall aim of teaching you how to be a good surgical assistant … focuses on the immediate aftermath of the operation, advising on drugs to prescribe post-operatively and how to write a comprehensive but succinct operation note …This book is aimed at medical students and foundation year doctors. It is a valuable read for anyone at this level. A knowledgeable surgical assistant is a delight to a surgeon and will gain a lot of kudos. I would thoroughly recommend it to this group of students and doctors … a good easy read that sets out its information in a clear and logical way with good diagrams and photos.'

Source: British Medical Journal

'Assisting at Surgical Operations deals with all those things you ever wanted to know in the operating theatre but were too afraid to ask. It is an easy to read, humorous guide to the practicalities of surgical assisting - something that is not taught routinely to the undergraduate and often taken for granted in junior surgeons.'

Source: British Journal of Surgery

'This book takes a unique approach to discussing assisting at surgical operations. It makes you feel as though you are there. The 'you' in the book, by the way, is likely to be a junior scrub practitioner, inexperienced medical student or junior surgeon … this book could make an impact on your book shelves and provide much scope for discussion in the coffee rooms (and scrub rooms) up and down the country.'

Source: Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology