How to Practice Fruit Surgery

If you’ve ever heard the story of a 12-hour open-heart surgery that saved a patient’s life, you’ve probably wondered how doctors are able to do such an extraordinary feat. The answer is surprisingly simple: practice. It takes years of study and practice to become a surgeon, but you don’t have to wait until you’re in medical school to start training. In fact, you can use fruit to train your skills right now!

Here are 10 ways for you to practice your fruit surgery skills.

Table of Contents

Make an incision with a scalpel on an orange

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Cut through orange peels to learn how to make precise incisions. Take a scalpel and cut through the outer layer of the orange peel. Avoid cutting below the skin to simulate cutting through the skin without injuring the underlying muscles. ^{[1] X Research Source}

The peel of an orange is quite similar to human skin, and this is a great way to get used to the feeling of how much pressure is required when making an incision.

Lift up part of the orange peel with surgical scissors

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Use orange peels to practice the peeling technique. Surgical scissors are surgical instruments designed to cut and dissect tissue. Use a scalpel to make 2 parallel incisions into the orange peel, then use scissors to make the incision. Gently open the scissors to peel off the orange peel without damaging the fruit. Next, you’ll lift part of the orange peel to reveal the bottom. ^{[2] X Research Source}

This technique is referred to as “jawhead instrument dissection”.
You can also use this method to practice the initial incisions in deep tissue surgery. The exposed part below the shell is like the muscles and tissue that you need to make an incision through.

Sew the incision on the orange

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Practice suturing the incision. Thread the surgical thread onto the surgical needle. Line up the edges of the orange peels very closely, inserting the needle into one side of the incision and through the other side. Gently pull the thread tight and continue to suture the two edges of the incision. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Tie the thread with a square knot and trim the thread

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Tie at least 3 knots to practice knotting the stitches by hand. Tie a simple square knot by holding both ends of the thread looped together, looping another loop on top, and pulling a thread through the opening. Repeat this at least 3 times and gently pull the thread through to form a knot. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

While you can use a surgical suture ligation device in the operating room, it’s also a great practice to learn how to manually tighten surgical sutures!

Stick the needle in the orange

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Practice joint aspiration. Hold the surgical needle and press on the orange peel until it penetrates the lower part of the fruit. Use this technique to familiarize yourself with the pressure required when you poke a patient’s joint to drain fluid or check for compartment syndrome (increased pressure in the cavity). ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Cut through grape skins with microsurgical scissors

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Simulates cutting through thin skin. Some areas of the body are quite fragile, such as the face. Grapes are very suitable for simulating thinning skin. You will use microsurgical scissors to make an incision into the grape skin without penetrating the flesh underneath. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Grapes also have another advantage that if you accidentally cut them, that’s okay! Just get another fruit and try again.

Sew the incision on the grape skin

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Practice microsurgery skills. After making an incision in the grape skin with scissors or a surgical knife, you will insert the surgical thread needle into one side of the incision and through the other. Carefully sew the two edges together to practice delicate slitting and stitching. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Grape skins are easy to tear and peel. You have to take it slow and do it slowly.

Cut a banana peel to simulate a deep cut

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Sew the banana peel back to practice stitches. Banana peels are also very similar to human skin, so it is also a simple and inexpensive way to practice surgical stitching skills. Use a knife or scalpel to cut into the banana peel, then use a needle and surgical thread to suture. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Stick a toothpick in a tomato

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Use toothpick tweezers to practice the splinter technique. Technically, splinter removal is a minor surgical procedure that, when done correctly, reduces pain and reduces the risk of infection. Take some toothpicks, break them in half and stick them in the tomato. Grab a toothpick with tweezers and gently pull it out. Remember to pull out the toothpick in the same direction as it was inserted to minimize the risk of tissue damage. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Use a cotton ball or gauze to absorb the tomato juice as if it were blood oozing from a wound.

Surgery for a mandarin in an opaque box

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Microsurgery simulation. To make the skill more difficult, you can use an opaque box, cut a few holes in the top and put a tangerine in the box. Use scissors and surgical forceps to peel off the peel and white membrane underneath, then use a surgical needle to suture the tangerine peel. ^{[10] X Research Source}

You can also put the camera in the box and perform “surgery” while looking at the video screen to simulate laparoscopic surgery.

Advice

Don’t be discouraged if you make a mistake. If you accidentally cut a banana, it won’t hurt anyone. Moreover, that banana is still edible!

Warning

Children practicing scalpel surgery on fruit must be carefully supervised.

Steps