Doctor Gregory Tchejeyan, who specialises in joint surgery and sports medicine, took to TikTok to explain why surgeons treat the practice with utmost importance
You’ve probably seen surgeons on TV walking into the operating theatre with their arms raised, but have you ever stopped to question why they do this?
While it’s natural to assume it’s simply to prevent bacterial contamination, there’s actually more to it. Dr. Gregory Tchejeyan, a specialist in joint surgery and sports medicine, took to TikTok to explain the scientific reasoning behind this crucial practice.
In a viral clip with nearly eight million views, the surgeon shared footage of himself in action and began: “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 continued: “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.”
Many of the doctor’s followers were surprised by this revelation, with one admitting: “I never knew that,” and another adding: “It’s pretty neat and knowledgeable.”
A second wrote: “This whole time I thought they won’t touch anything because of bacterial contamination.” A third TikTok user quipped: “I thought it was just to assert dominance when walking into a room.” Whilst a fourth joked: “I already knew why, I graduated from Grey’s Anatomy university.”
When it comes to keepig clean, the University of Hong Kong’s Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TALIC) 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 detailed in the National Library of Medicine indicates: “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.”
