O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 2 5
(Correctly)
INVOLVE THE PATIENT
Whenever possible, involve the
patient in the site-marking
process. Put the marking pen
directly into the patient's hand
before sedation and have him
mark the correct site.
Otherwise, a surgeon might
operate on the wrong knee if a
patient points to the one that's
hurting him more on the day of
surgery.
WASHED AWAY If your site mark
gets washed away by pre-op skin
prep solutions, it loses its useful-
ness. The solution: Use an indelible
marker that ensures that the mark
will be visible after the skin prep.
