Ever wondered why surgeons are often seen entering the operating theatre with their arms raised?
While it may seem like a simple measure to avoid bacterial contamination, there’s more to this practice than meets the eye. Doctor Gregory Tchejeyan, a specialist in joint surgery and sports medicine, took to TikTok to shed light on the science behind this crucial routine.
In a video that has since gone viral, amassing nearly eight million views, the doctor explained: “The reason you see doctors like this is because your hands are the most sterile and it’s less sterile as you go up.”
He further elaborated: “If you’re like this [hands up] any water dripping will drip away from the most sterile part. If your hands are the other way water would drip from your elbow – which you didn’t scrub and that would make your hands unsterile.”
The revelation left many of his followers surprised, with one admitting: “I never knew that,” while another confessed: “This whole time I thought they won’t touch anything because of bacterial contamination.”
Others found humour in the situation, with one joking: “I thought it was just to assert dominance when walking into a room.” Whilst another quipped: “I already knew why, I graduated from Grey’s Anatomy university.”
The Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TALIC) at the University of Hong Kong advises: “Surgical scrubbing is the removal of the germs and bacteria as possible from the bare hands and arms. After scrubbing, keep both hands above waist and below neckline.”
“Keep them in view at all times. Scrubbed hands and arms are considered contaminated once they fall below waist level. On the other hand, surgical gowning and gloving provide a barrier between the patient and healthcare provider.”
Meanwhile, research documented in the National Library of Medicine states: “Surgical hand preparation should reduce the release of skin bacteria from the hands of the surgical team for the duration of the procedure in case of an unnoticed puncture of the surgical glove releasing bacteria to the open wound.
“In contrast to the hygienic handwash or hand rub, surgical hand preparation must eliminate the transient and reduce the resident flora.”
