Certified Surgical Technologist Surgical Positioning 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which surgical position places the patient flat on their back with arms either tucked or extended on arm boards?
- Lithotomy
- Supine (Correct answer)
- Prone
- Lateral
Correct answer: Supine
The supine position has the patient lying flat on their back and is the most commonly used position for anterior abdominal, thoracic, and extremity surgeries.
Question 2: Which position places the patient face-down on the operating table to allow access to the posterior body?
- Fowler's
- Trendelenburg
- Prone (Correct answer)
- Lithotomy
Correct answer: Prone
The prone position has the patient lying face-down and is used for spinal, posterior cranial, and rectal surgeries requiring dorsal access.
Question 3: The lithotomy position is most commonly used for which category of surgical procedures?
- Spinal surgery
- Gynecological and perineal procedures (Correct answer)
- Shoulder arthroscopy
- Cardiac surgery
Correct answer: Gynecological and perineal procedures
Lithotomy elevates and flexes the legs in stirrups, providing optimal access to the perineum, vagina, and lower rectum.
Question 4: Which nerve is most at risk for compression injury from stirrups in the lithotomy position?
- Radial nerve
- Femoral nerve
- Common peroneal nerve (Correct answer)
- Ulnar nerve
Correct answer: Common peroneal nerve
The common peroneal nerve wraps around the lateral fibular head and is vulnerable to direct stirrup pressure, causing foot drop if injured.
Question 5: In the Trendelenburg position, the patient is tilted so that:
- The head is elevated and feet are down
- The head is lower than the feet (Correct answer)
- The patient is on their side
- The patient is prone with knees flexed
Correct answer: The head is lower than the feet
Trendelenburg tilts the table head-down to shift abdominal organs cephalad, improving pelvic visualization during lower abdominal and laparoscopic surgery.
Question 6: Reverse Trendelenburg position (head up, feet down) is most beneficial for which type of surgery?
- Pelvic laparoscopy
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy and upper abdominal procedures (Correct answer)
- Hip replacement
- Sacral cyst excision
Correct answer: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy and upper abdominal procedures
Reverse Trendelenburg allows gravity to displace abdominal viscera away from the upper abdomen, improving visualization during cholecystectomy and esophageal procedures.
Question 7: When positioning a patient prone, which device is essential to prevent pressure on the chest and abdomen while allowing adequate ventilation?
- Allen stirrups
- Chest rolls or a prone positioning frame (Correct answer)
- Mayfield skull clamp
- Kidney rest
Correct answer: Chest rolls or a prone positioning frame
Chest rolls or a prone frame elevate the thorax and abdomen off the table, protecting female breasts, preventing abdominal compression, and allowing diaphragmatic excursion.
Certified Surgical Technologist Surgical Positioning 1
Which surgical position places the patient flat on their back with arms either tucked or extended on arm boards?