I've appropriated the term heuristics to apply to simple techniques in surgical dissection of tissue. In this context I define the term as:
| • | of which they are usually / often unaware |
| • | and therefore are not able to teach. |
So far I've described about a dozen such techniques or rules, such as:
| • | to cut limp tissue set up lines of tension at right angles to the proposed line of cutting |
| • | to increase the accuracy of movement, place the hand or instrument on a fulcrum close to the material being worked on |
| • | good timing in separating along a plane of cleavage requires sufficiently slow movement to allow for the stretch and fracture of successive cohorts of fine attachments |
I've described these in detail on my website at http://www.mpatkin.org, together with their importance. Because it has had little exposure in discussion with others it must contain errors and poor expression, and I welcome feedback at mailto:mpatkin@bigpond.net.au
