Surgical Resources
Curated tools and references for surgeons and surgical trainees — consent checklists, technique videos, and online atlases.
✍️ Consent Checklists — Risks & Benefits
Standardised summaries for commonly performed procedures. Designed for quick reference during consent conversations — not exhaustive, but covering the key points discussed in GMC-compliant consent. Always tailor to the individual patient.
HPB / General Surgery
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
- Benefits: Relief of biliary symptoms; prevention of recurrent cholecystitis, pancreatitis, or biliary colic
- Common (1–10%): Wound infection, port-site hernia, diarrhoea (post-cholecystectomy syndrome), minor bile leak
- Infrequent (<1%): Bile duct injury, conversion to open, retained CBD stone, major haemorrhage, bowel injury, DVT/PE
- Very rare: Mortality (~0.1–0.3%), bile duct stricture, hepatic artery injury
HPB Surgery
Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple)
- Benefits: Curative resection for pancreatic/periampullary malignancy; symptom palliation
- Common (10–40%): Delayed gastric emptying, pancreatic fistula (POPF), wound infection
- Infrequent (1–10%): Post-pancreatectomy haemorrhage, bile leak, intra-abdominal abscess, DVT/PE, pneumonia, new-onset diabetes
- Rare (<1–3%): Mortality (1–3%), myocardial infarction, CVA, multi-organ failure
HPB Surgery
Distal Pancreatectomy & Splenectomy
- Benefits: Resection of pancreatic body/tail lesions; curative intent for malignancy
- Common (10–30%): Pancreatic fistula (POPF), splenectomy-related (thrombocytosis, OPSI risk)
- Infrequent (1–10%): Post-pancreatectomy haemorrhage, intra-abdominal collection/abscess, wound infection, new/worsened diabetes
- Rare (<1%): Mortality (<1%), gastric/colonic ischaemia, portal vein thrombosis
HPB Surgery
Liver Resection
- Benefits: Curative resection for primary or metastatic liver tumours; symptom control for large benign lesions
- Common (5–20%): Bile leak, wound infection, pleural effusion, transient liver dysfunction
- Infrequent (1–5%): Post-hepatectomy liver failure, haemorrhage, intra-abdominal collection, DVT/PE, incisional hernia
- Rare (<1–3%): Mortality (1–3%), biliary stricture, hepatic artery thrombosis
HPB / Gastroenterology
ERCP ± Sphincterotomy
- Benefits: Clearance of CBD stones; biliary drainage for obstruction/stricture; diagnostic tissue sampling
- Common (5–10%): Post-ERCP pancreatitis, transient rise in amylase/lipase
- Infrequent (1–5%): Haemorrhage (post-sphincterotomy), cholangitis, duodenal perforation, stent migration
- Rare (<1%): Mortality (~0.1–0.5%), severe necrotising pancreatitis, retroperitoneal perforation
General Surgery
Inguinal Hernia Repair (Open / Laparoscopic)
- Benefits: Relief of symptoms; prevention of incarceration/strangulation; mesh reinforcement
- Common (1–10%): Seroma/haematoma, wound infection, chronic groin pain (10–12%), urinary retention
- Infrequent (<1–2%): Recurrence, testicular atrophy/swelling, ilioinguinal nerve injury, mesh infection
- Very rare: Bowel/bladder injury, major vascular injury (laparoscopic), mortality
General Surgery
Laparoscopic Appendicectomy
- Benefits: Definitive treatment of appendicitis; prevention of perforation and peritonitis
- Common (1–10%): Wound infection (especially if perforated), intra-abdominal collection, port-site hernia
- Infrequent (<1–2%): Conversion to open, stump leak, bowel injury, negative appendicectomy
- Very rare: Mortality (<0.1%), delayed recognition of alternative pathology
Colorectal Surgery
Right Hemicolectomy
- Benefits: Curative resection for right-sided colonic malignancy or large polyps not amenable to endoscopic resection
- Common (5–15%): Wound infection, ileus, incisional hernia
- Infrequent (1–5%): Anastomotic leak, intra-abdominal collection, DVT/PE, cardiac/respiratory complications
- Rare (<1–2%): Mortality (elective <2%), ureteric injury, duodenal injury, CVA
🎬 Surgical Technique Videos
Curated high-quality operative videos demonstrating key techniques and anatomical landmarks.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy — Critical View of Safety
Step-by-step demonstration of achieving the critical view (Strasberg) before clipping and dividing. Essential for safe cholecystectomy.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple Procedure)
Demonstration of resection and reconstruction phases. Covers key anatomical relationships and anastomotic techniques.
Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair (TEP)
Totally extraperitoneal approach — anatomical landmarks, mesh placement, and key steps to avoid recurrence.
Laparoscopic Appendicectomy
Standard three-port technique — mesoappendix dissection, Endo-loop or stapler control of the base, and safe specimen retrieval.
Right Hemicolectomy — Laparoscopic Medial-to-Lateral
Standard medial-to-lateral approach: ileocolic pedicle identification, CME dissection, and anastomosis.
📚 Online Atlases & Anatomy References
High-quality online resources for surgical anatomy, radiological correlation, and operative planning.
- Toronto Video Atlas of Surgery (TVASurg) Open-access library of animation-enhanced surgical videos curated by surgeons from world-class institutions. 3D reconstructions with real-time operative footage — excellent for understanding complex HPB and transplant procedures.
- TeachMeAnatomy Free, comprehensive anatomy resource with excellent surgical relevance. Concise articles, diagrams, and clinical correlations. Ideal for FRCS revision.
- Radiopaedia Collaborative radiology wiki with thousands of annotated cases. Essential for correlating surgical anatomy with cross-sectional imaging.
- Acland's Video Atlas of Human Anatomy Rotating cadaveric dissection videos showing real anatomical relationships in three dimensions. Subscription required but widely available via NHS OpenAthens.
- e-Anatomy (IMAIOS) High-resolution cross-sectional atlas with CT/MRI labelling. Excellent for pre-operative planning and understanding segmental anatomy.
- RCS England Library & e-Resources Access to surgical journals, e-books, and databases including UpToDate and ClinicalKey via RCS membership.
- Touch Surgery Interactive surgical simulation app. Step-by-step walkthroughs of common procedures. Useful for trainees preparing for cases.
- Surgical Journals — Key HPB Publications HPB (Oxford), Annals of Surgery, BJS, JAMA Surgery, Surgery, JACS, Annals of Surgical Oncology.
⚠️ Disclaimer: The consent checklists on this page are provided as educational reference material only. They do not constitute medical advice and are not a substitute for individual clinical judgement. Always consult local protocols, national guidelines, and individual patient circumstances when obtaining informed consent. Video links are curated from publicly available sources and inclusion does not constitute endorsement.