Eli5 why is it that if I cut myself with a knife I bleed like crazy, but when a surgeon cuts into a chest, removes the ribs to perform a major surgery you don’t see all that much blood comparatively?

Question

Eli5 why is it that if I cut myself with a knife I bleed like crazy, but when a surgeon cuts into a chest, removes the ribs to perform a major surgery you don’t see all that much blood comparatively?

In: 562

Answer 1

Two reasons, one someone is constantly stuffing your insides with super absorbent gauze to mop up the blood.

The other factor is that someone will be in charge of cauterising the blood vessels which involves “burning” the exposed vessels causing them to plug up, kinda like how you burn the ends of nylon rope after cutting it to melt the ends and stop it from fraying