It is a common practice amongst surgeons to cut their nails short, so that dirt does not accumulate under them and scrubbing for surgery is more effective. It is a not uncommon practice amongst girls and women to grow their nails, and sometimes paint them. What happens with women surgeons is unpredictable.
I was assisting my Registrar the other day. She was performing vaginal hysterectomy. Suddenly her nail of right index finger poked my hand through two surgical gloves on her hand and two on mine. So it was long. I asked her how she could operate and hope to have less postoperative infections. She kept quiet. I assisted my Senior Registrar after that operation. Her nail also poked my hand the same way, and our discussion went the same way. I think they were unhappy with me for some reason, and would have loved to scratch my face or something. That not being possible, they perhaps poked my finger. :-) That would perhaps was excusable, but breach of aseptic technique was not. I let a week pass, and on the next operation day took a camera along to the OT. I photographed the fingers of all of those who had long fingernails, with or without dirt underneath. It looked like this.
Since half of them were already operative or assisting when I started the photo session, I had to wait until they washed out. One house officer came out with blood all over her gown's sleeve.
"Go wash your hand" I told her "there is blood all over your sleeve."
She went away, but would not come back. I grew impatient after ten minutes and asked for her. She came, her hands all wet.
"Show me your nails" I said.She held out her hands for me to inspect her nails. The nails were cut flush with the finger tips. There seemed to be not even a minute's growth after having cut them.
"Did you cut them just now?" I asked her.
"Yes, Sir" she said.
"I felt cheated, but at least the nails were now short.
I was assisting my Registrar the other day. She was performing vaginal hysterectomy. Suddenly her nail of right index finger poked my hand through two surgical gloves on her hand and two on mine. So it was long. I asked her how she could operate and hope to have less postoperative infections. She kept quiet. I assisted my Senior Registrar after that operation. Her nail also poked my hand the same way, and our discussion went the same way. I think they were unhappy with me for some reason, and would have loved to scratch my face or something. That not being possible, they perhaps poked my finger. :-) That would perhaps was excusable, but breach of aseptic technique was not. I let a week pass, and on the next operation day took a camera along to the OT. I photographed the fingers of all of those who had long fingernails, with or without dirt underneath. It looked like this.
"Go wash your hand" I told her "there is blood all over your sleeve."
She went away, but would not come back. I grew impatient after ten minutes and asked for her. She came, her hands all wet.
"Show me your nails" I said.She held out her hands for me to inspect her nails. The nails were cut flush with the finger tips. There seemed to be not even a minute's growth after having cut them.
"Did you cut them just now?" I asked her.
"Yes, Sir" she said.
"I felt cheated, but at least the nails were now short.
