Commonly Used Surgical Instruments

The operating room features a variety of instruments for different procedures. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some commonly used surgical instruments.

Scalpel

• Function: Initial incision and tissue cutting.
• Components: Blade and handle.
• Blade Types:
  • #10 Blade: Large skin incisions, e.g., laparotomy.
  • #11 Blade: Precise, sharply angled incisions.
  • #15 Blade: Smaller, finer incisions.

Scissors

• Function: Cutting tissue, suture, or for dissection.
• Types:
  • Mayo Scissors: Heavy; straight for sutures, curved for heavy tissue.
  • Metzenbaum Scissors (Metz): Light, for delicate tissue and blunt dissection.
  • Potts Scissors: For incisions in blood vessels.
  • Iris Scissors: Fine dissection, initially for ophthalmic use.

Forceps

• Function: Grasping tissue or objects.
• Types:
  • Bonney Forceps: Heavy, for thick tissue.
  • DeBakey Forceps: Atraumatic tissue grasping.
  • Russian Forceps: Atraumatic tissue grasping.
  • Tissue Forceps: Non-toothed, for fine handling.
  • Adson Forceps: Toothed, for dense tissue.

Clamps

• Function: Hold tissue or objects, provide hemostasis.
• Types:
  • Crile Hemostat: Atraumatic, non-toothed.
  • Kelly Clamp: Larger hemostat variant.
  • Kocher Clamp: Traumatic, toothed.
  • Allis and Babcock Clamps: For grasping intestine.

Needles & Suture

• Needles: Various shapes and cutting edges.
  • Tapered Needle: Round, for soft tissue.
  • Conventional Cutting Needle: Triangular, for tough tissue.
• Suture Sizing: Ranges from #5 to #11-0.
• Suture Types:
  • Absorbable and Non-Absorbable
  • Braided and Monofilament
• Examples:
  • Absorbable: Vicryl, Polysorb
  • Non-Absorbable: Silk, Prolene

Suction

• Function: Remove debris and fluid.
• Types:
  • Yankauer Suction Tube: Surface and intra-abdominal suction.
  • Poole Suction Tube: Large fluid removal.
  • Frazier Suction Tip: ENT and neurosurgery.

Retractors

• Function: Hold incisions open, maintain clear field.
• Types:
  • Deaver Retractor: Abdominal wall.
  • Army-Navy Retractor: Skin layers exposure.
  • Weitlaner Retractor (Wheaty): Self-retaining.
  • Richardson Retractor (Rich): Deep tissue.
  • Bookwalter Retractor: Self-retaining, table-anchored.

Laparoscopic Instruments

• Similar to open surgery instruments but adapted for narrow ports.

Energy Systems

• Function: Cutting tissue or sealing vessels.
• Types:
  • Electrosurgery: Alternating electric current.
  • Ultrasonic (Harmonic): High-frequency sound.

Staplers and Clips

• Function: Reanastomosis, vessel ligation.
• Types:
  • Linear Stapler: Linear staple line.
  • Endostapler: Cutting and stapling.
  • Circular Cutter: Circular cut and staple.

Special Surgical Considerations

• Subspecialties: Specific equipment for procedures.
  • Cardio-Thoracic Surgery: Cardiopulmonary bypass, bronchoscopy.
  • Urologic Surgery: Cystoscopy.
  • Orthopaedic Surgery: Joint replacements.
  • Robot-Assisted Surgery: Robotic systems with multiple arms for increased precision.

This guide provides a basic overview of common surgical instruments and their uses in various medical specialties.