Blunt Dissection

Blunt dissection is a technique for gently separating tissues while
avoiding injury to important nearby structures such as blood vessels,
nerves, or veins. Unless you use too much force, subcutaneous tissue
and muscle will separate easily, while the surrounding nerves, vessels,
and tendons will remain intact. For healthcare providers with
limited surgical skills, blunt dissection is the technique of choice for
separating tissues (for example, in exploring a wound or operating on
a hand).
Blunt Dissection Technique
Insert the closed blunt tips of a scissors or the closed jaws of a clamp into
the tissues (to a depth of approximately 1–2 cm). Then gently open the
instrument. This action separates the tissues. Any fibrotic connections

that are not important structures can then be safely cut with the scissors.
Repeat these maneuvers as needed.
Alternatively, you can gently use your index finger covered with a
gauze pad to separate tissues. This technique is especially useful for
elevating a skin flap off an underlying muscle.