A surgical first assistant also referred to as a surgical assistant or simply a first assist works closely with surgeons in the operating room during a surgical procedure they anticipate the needs of the surgical team and during an operation assist the surgeon with tasks such as selecting equipment holding open incisions stopping bleeding closing the incision among other technical tasks. Surgical first assistants most commonly work in hospitals you can find them working diligently in the operating room answering questions before surgery in a patients room surgical first assistants also work in outpatient surgery centers and may help facilitate the training of new surgical assistant staff by sharing information in a classroom or hospital training facility. A surgical first assistant is usually the surgical assistant with the highest level of expertise and training while first assistants are expected to perform different tasks at different medical locations they are generally trained and certified to perform and be proficient in the following tasks among others cauterizing wounds and vessels. If this sounds like you investigate becoming a certified surgical assistant csa or certified surgical first assistant csfa surgical assistants are medical professionals who assist both surgeons and nurses during surgical and other medical procedures like surgical technologists they have specific responsibilities in the operating room plus pre and post surgery duties