A certified surgical technologist, or CST, is a medical professional who assists in preparing the operating room for surgery, and assisting the surgeon before and during surgery. Their duties and responsibilities include preparing the OR, which includes arranging all equipment and making sure all the surgical tools are sterile. They also help the surgeon and nurses scrub before surgery. In addition to their duties in the surgical bay, they prepare patients for surgery by washing incision sites. During surgery, the CST keeps careful count of supplies such as sponges, passes equipment to the nurses and surgeons, and provides manual assistance like holding tools or organs.