This program has been compiled for general practitioners, physicians in training to become general practitioners, medical students, and other interested individuals (medical receptionists, nurses, midwives, etc). It is intended for those who wish to become competent at surgical techniques that may be applied in general practice.
A general practitioner may be expected to be competent at wound cleansing. Practitioners who wish to go beyond this level and, for example, excise small skin lesions, must have a thorough command of certain skills and must set up their practice in a way that minor surgery can be performed responsibly.
One argument in favour of performing minor surgery in general practice is the need to save costs in healthcare. A general practitioner can contribute to this effort even when emergency care facilities are within walking distance from the practice. A GP’s skills, enthusiasm and expertise in minor surgery may put patients at ease. This gives a wounded patient a choice of physician and treatment setting (emergency care or general practice).
In Section 1 of this program, the necessary conditions regarding the general practitioner’s workspace and equipment are discussed. The regulations for disinfection and sterilisation that must be followed are also reviewed.
Section 2 contains some guidelines that may be useful in developing an approach to adult and paediatric patients that will help calm both the patient and physician.
In Section 3, the theoretical background behind the skills to be acquired is described.
Section 4 addresses the techniques and systematics of the skills.
Section 5 describes a number of techniques for removing skin lesions.