Left Hand Knot Tying

[dreambig2night]

Hi all,

I find it hard to learn knot tying because Im a lefty. All the videos etc I have searched for are R handed. Anyone know of any L handed video resources that can help me?

What do left handed residents do anyway? do they just have to learn it the right handed way?

One attending was reluctant to let me suture because Im left handed and didnt have the time to see if Im doing it right.

I hope this wont hinder me on future rotations.

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[SOUNDMAN]

I'll chime in since I'm left handed as well and it is very difficult. All instruments are made for the right handed individual so just using the needle driver, etc can be difficult even just to open, and I've been in surgery for three years as a PA and now back in medical school. So I used to practice with a spare hemostat or needle driver in my pocket and just practice opening and closing it with my left hand and then practice without using the finger holes.

For one handed know tying I learned right handed first and then after getting that down, begin to try to do it left handed since you know the concept and the moves. What you'll probably find out is that being "left handed", and you learn the right handed one handed tie, you'll probably get it down pretty quick since your left hand is doing all the work. Once you realize what's going on you can begin to practice the other way. It'll take some time, but there lots of videos online for right handed one handed tie.

Here is video on you tube demonstrating how to do the one handed tie if you are left handed...remember as a left handed person your right hand does all the work in the tie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfVDzO6oEqM

 

[maverick_pkg]

why not just tie left handed?

I am right handed and tie left handed. Couple of our attendings do the same. Advantage this way is u dont have to put the driver down (for u this would be if u tie right handed). So its not as if majority of attendings will have a problem if u wanna tie left handed

 

[SOUNDMAN]

Exactly what was said above, the whole point of the one handed tie is that your dominant hand is holding the necessary needle driver, suture wheel, or whatever, and doesn't have to put it down and then the non-dominant hand does all of the "tying" or manipulations of the suture. It alleviates having to switch your instruments back and forth...I think the above post clears up the terms nicely.

 

[ESU_MD]

if you sew with your right hand, you should tie with your left. this is what the really efficient surgeons do.

those who sew with the right, then have to drop the instrument and tie with the right. nothing wrong per se. but it wastes time

 

[Apollyon]

I've actually heard from a couple of attendings that you can buy left-handed surgical instruments...maybe some day if I am an attending I'll convince the hospital to have a special tray just for me... 😉

When I was a med student, there was a old guy that was a staff surgeon in Brooklyn; he was left-handed, and had his own set of L handed instruments, and he said, when I noticed (because I am lefty also), "there's no such thing as a left-handed surgeon", and laughed.

(BTW I am not a surgeon - that was one of the FEW moments in my 3rd year rotation that were not especially hellacious, and did not turn me irrevocably from surgery. All the rest did.)

 

[Anka]

I'm a righty, but tie left handed because that's how I was taught to tie. So, you might as well tie left handed.

That said, I'd learn to use the instruments right handed -- there are problems with working in the same field as a surgeon who is right handed if you're doing everything with the opposite hand. Imagine you're both trying to close a long incision at the same time by sewing towards each other. You'll have to do your entire part backhand anyway to keep out of the other surgeons way.

One of the most technically proficient cardiac surgeons I know is left handed, but operates so well right handed I didn't know he was a lefty for a year or so after starting to operate with him. He'd always harp, though, on how it's all about "the left hand and the load." Even if you're holding the needle driver in your right hand, all you do with the needle driver is turn your wrist. The left hand sets the right hand up to do the work (loads the needle, holds the tissue, etc.).

One of the most gifted surgeons with a pair of Castro's I know, however, is a right handed surgeon who uses everything right handed except the castros. The lock works either way, and he tends to use them ambi, with a left handed preference if anything (i.e., whenever I would probably load the needle backhand, he'd just switch hands).

Best,
Anka

 

[SocialistMD]

Hi all,

I find it hard to learn knot tying because Im a lefty.

Get a surgery resident to teach you. Even if they aren't left-handed, they can show you how to do it with either hand.

 

[surgres88]

It doesn't matter if your left handed or right handed, if you are intersted in surgery:
Learn to tie knots (single and double handed) with both hands. Remember, surgeons operate with both hands.