First-Assist Surgical Roles Flashcards
7 cards from real CFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 First-Assist Surgical Roles flashcards as text
When assisting with a thyroidectomy, the first assistant must be particularly careful to protect which structure?
Answer: The recurrent laryngeal nerve
The recurrent laryngeal nerve runs in close proximity to the thyroid and injury causes hoarseness or vocal cord paralysis.
The first assistant is assisting in a Whipple procedure. What is the first assistant's role during the pancreatic anastomosis?
Answer: Providing continuous exposure, suture assistance, and hemostasis support
During complex anastomoses like the pancreaticojejunostomy, the first assistant provides exposure, passes sutures, and controls bleeding.
Which scenario represents appropriate scope of practice for a Certified First Assistant?
Answer: Assisting the surgeon by clamping, cutting, and suturing under direct supervision
The CFA assists the surgeon with clamping, cutting, and suturing but always under direct surgeon supervision and never independently.
A first assistant is retracting the liver during a cholecystectomy. Which retractor position risk must be minimized?
Answer: Compression of the hepatic parenchyma causing pressure necrosis
Prolonged or excessive liver retraction compresses hepatic tissue, risking pressure-induced ischemia and postoperative liver dysfunction.
Which hemostatic technique is most appropriate for a small bleeding capillary bed in the subcutaneous layer?
Answer: Electrocautery with a bipolar or monopolar device on low setting
Electrocautery on a low setting is the standard technique for controlling small capillary bleeding in subcutaneous tissue.
What is the first assistant's responsibility regarding the surgical specimen?
Answer: Ensuring the specimen is handled correctly and handed off to the appropriate team member per protocol
The first assistant ensures proper specimen handling and transfer according to institutional protocol to maintain chain of custody.
During a pelvic lymph node dissection, the first assistant should be most vigilant about avoiding injury to which structure?
Answer: The obturator nerve
The obturator nerve traverses the obturator fossa and is at high risk during pelvic lymph node dissection.