Surgical Safety Verification is a record of the verification of the patient's identity, surgical site, surgical procedure, anesthesia and surgical risks, and inventory of items used in the procedure before anesthesia is administered, before the procedure begins, and before the patient leaves the operating room. This verification process is designed to ensure the accuracy and safety of the surgery and to reduce the incidence of medical errors and accidents.
The verification includes patient identity, surgical approach, surgical site and marking, anesthesia safety check, skin integrity, skin preparation in the operative field, establishment of venous access, patient's allergy history, results of antimicrobial skin test, preoperative blood preparation, prosthesis, internal implants, and imaging data. The preparation of surgical items, the actual surgical approach, intraoperative medications, verification of blood transfusion, confirmation of surgical specimens, skin integrity, arterial and venous access, and drainage tubes also need to be verified prior to the start of the procedure and prior to the patient's departure from the operating room.
After completion of the tripartite verification, it is necessary to sign and confirm the Surgical Safety Verification Form to ensure that each element of verification is taken seriously and recorded. This institutionalized verification process helps to improve surgical safety and safeguard patients' rights and interests.