Halstead's Principles of Surgery

William S Halsted of John Hopkins University put forward a set of principles (Halstedian principles) in the 1890’s for achieving the best results in surgery. Now, more than 100 years later, they still form the basis of modern surgical craftsmanship.

• Handle tissues gently
• Achieve meticulous hemostasis
• Preserve vascularity
• Ensure strict asepsis
• Close the wound without tension
• Achieve good approximation of tissues
• Avoid dead space