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<p>In oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS), operative success is often attributed to the lead surgeon, while the indispensable role of the surgical assistant whether a resident, fellow, physician assistant, or co-surgeon remains largely unacknowledged. The assistant’s technical competence, anticipation, and situational awareness may influence surgical safety, efficiency, and educational value. Evidence from OMFS and broader surgical literature suggests that skilled surgical assistance may contribute to improved operative efficiency and workflow without increasing complication rates; however, such observations should be interpreted as contextual insights rather than definitive outcome based evidence within OMFS. For example, OMFS evidence shows that trained assistance can reduce surgeon involvement time by approximately 19&#xa0;min per outpatient impacted third molar case and lower procedural costs without increasing complications. The scope of assistantship spans complex orthognathic and oncologic cases, maxillofacial trauma repairs, and dentoalveolar procedures. Under recognition has implications for trainee motivation, professional morale, and the accuracy of academic records. Formal acknowledgment through operative documentation, authorship inclusion, and competency evaluation can foster a cultural shift that reflects the true collaborative nature of OMFS practice. This article presents an evidence supported perspective highlighting the importance of surgical assistance and proposes a conceptual framework to encourage structured recognition and future research on assistant contributions in OMFS. Recognising the assistant is not merely a matter of courtesy, but an essential step toward professional integrity and improved patient care.</p>

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The Forgotten Assistant in the OMFS OR: Are We Undervaluing a Critical Contributor?

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月20日

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  • Anuj Jain,
  • Pratap Jadhav

摘要

In oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS), operative success is often attributed to the lead surgeon, while the indispensable role of the surgical assistant whether a resident, fellow, physician assistant, or co-surgeon remains largely unacknowledged. The assistant’s technical competence, anticipation, and situational awareness may influence surgical safety, efficiency, and educational value. Evidence from OMFS and broader surgical literature suggests that skilled surgical assistance may contribute to improved operative efficiency and workflow without increasing complication rates; however, such observations should be interpreted as contextual insights rather than definitive outcome based evidence within OMFS. For example, OMFS evidence shows that trained assistance can reduce surgeon involvement time by approximately 19 min per outpatient impacted third molar case and lower procedural costs without increasing complications. The scope of assistantship spans complex orthognathic and oncologic cases, maxillofacial trauma repairs, and dentoalveolar procedures. Under recognition has implications for trainee motivation, professional morale, and the accuracy of academic records. Formal acknowledgment through operative documentation, authorship inclusion, and competency evaluation can foster a cultural shift that reflects the true collaborative nature of OMFS practice. This article presents an evidence supported perspective highlighting the importance of surgical assistance and proposes a conceptual framework to encourage structured recognition and future research on assistant contributions in OMFS. Recognising the assistant is not merely a matter of courtesy, but an essential step toward professional integrity and improved patient care.