Halsted's principles

Halstead's principles are the basic principles of surgical technique regarding tissue handling, vascular occlusion etc. If followed, they improve soft tissue surgical success rate.

The principles

• Strict asepsis during preparation and surgery.
• Good haemostasis to improve conditions for the procedure and limit infection and deadspace.
• Minimise tissue trauma.
• Use good Surgical judgement ensuring elimination of deadspace and adequate removal of material.
• Minimise surgery time through knowledge of anatomy and technique.
• Correct use of instruments and materials used.