Surgical First Assistant

Surgical First Assistant

Newport News, Virginia, United States

Plastic Surgery Center of Hampton Roads (an Inspire Aesthetics Group Partner) strives to provide a comfortable, compassionate, safe plastic surgery experience. With over 90+ years of plastic surgery experience, our award-winning plastic surgeons are well-known for listening to our patients and delivering beautiful results. From our pre-operative care center to our AAAASF accredited, fully appointed surgical center, we provide our patients with a caring, positive experience from the very first appointment and throughout their care.

The Surgical First Assistant provides advanced intraoperative support to the plastic surgeon and surgical team, ensuring safe, efficient, high-quality care throughout cosmetic surgical procedures. This role assists during the pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative phases to optimize surgical outcomes and maintain the highest standards of patient safety and sterile technique.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Pre-Operative Duties

• Review surgical schedule, patient records, and procedure plans prior to cases; ensure understanding of surgeon preferences and patient needs.
• Assist with patient positioning, skin preparation, sterile draping, and verifying implants/devices as required.
• Prepare and confirm the availability, functionality, and sterility of surgical instruments, supplies, and equipment.
• Participate in surgical time-outs and pre-op safety checks.

Intra-Operative Duties

• Serve as the first assistant to the surgeon during elective cosmetic procedures including body contouring, breast procedures, facial aesthetic surgery, and other plastic surgery cases.
• Provide exposure and visualization of the operative field through retraction, suctioning, irrigation, and tissue handling.
• Assist with hemostasis using cautery, ligation, clamping, and other techniques.
• Assist with dissection, suturing, closure of incision layers, and application of dressings as directed by the surgeon.
• Anticipate surgeon needs and maintain efficient surgical workflow.
• Ensures sterility of supplies, instruments, and equipment while in the operating room.
• Assists surgical team in maintaining a sterile environment.
• Assists in gathering necessary surgical supplies, instruments, and equipment.
• Transports all surgical supplies, instruments, and equipment to appropriate cleaning areas.
• Assists in sterilization and cleaning of instrument sets.

Post-Operative Duties

• Assist with the application of dressings, compression garments, and wound care as appropriate.
• Ensure accurate counts of instruments, sponges, and needles at case completion.
• Assist with patient transfer to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and provide handoff communication.
• Support post-operative documentation and debriefs.

Team & Operational Support

• Collaborate effectively with surgeons, anesthesiologists, circulating nurses, and surgical technologists to ensure smooth operations.
• Assist with maintaining, organizing, and restocking surgical instruments and supplies.
• Support quality improvement, safety protocols, and compliance with accreditation standards.

Qualifications

• CSFA certification
• Operating room experience, preferably in plastic, cosmetic, or ambulatory surgery.
• Experience specifically in ambulatory cosmetic/plastic surgery settings.
• Demonstrated knowledge of sterile technique, surgical instrumentation, hemostasis, and tissue handling.
• Current BLS and ACLS certification
• Strong attention to detail, communication skills, and ability to anticipate surgeon needs.
• Familiarity with body contouring, breast aesthetics, and facial cosmetic surgery instruments and techniques.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Ability to maintain composure in fast-paced surgical environments
• Commitment to patient safety, confidentiality, and quality outcomes
• Proficient in perioperative workflow and surgical protocols

Work Schedule

• • Four 10 hour days
  • Typically 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM