How to safeguard your ring in theatre

摘要

Finger rings harbour surface bacteria so should be removed before scrubbing for theatre and left off while operating. There are many anecdotes of surgeons losing their wedding rings and rooting through clinical waste or surgical scrub bins to find the lost items. We present a method of safeguarding a wedding ring while in theatre. Surgical scrubs are put on in the usual fashion. A single throw is placed in the trouser cord-this is the first half of a reef knot. The cord on the right is passed over the cord on the left (fig 1). The wedding ring is then threaded onto one of the cords (fig 2). The reef knot is completed by passing a throw in the opposite direction, so the cord on the left passes over the cord on the right (fig 3). Figure 3 shows the cords before the knot is tightened to show the reef knot. The wedding ring will be held tightly within the reef knot. The reef knot is secured by passing a third throw in the same manner as the first (fig 4). The surgeon has the option to add extra throws if they are deemed necessary.