Overview
This lecture covers key surgical instruments, including their physical characteristics, main functions, and the types of procedures or tissues they are used for.
Cutting Instruments
- Scalpel blade handles are used to attach scalpel blades and hold them when cutting.
- Scalpels are used to make incisions in tissue.
- Mayo scissors have semi-blunt tips and are used to cut heavy tissues.
- Metzenbaum scissors are thin, with a long shank, and used for cutting delicate tissues.
- Suture removal scissors have a circular indent and are used to cut and remove suture material.
- Bandage scissors have a blunt, angled tip to cut bandages without injuring skin.
Needle Holders
- Mayo-Hegar needle holders are heavy instruments with a ratchet lock, used to hold suture needles.
- Olsen-Hegar needle holders combine needle holding and cutting, with a ratchet lock near the handle.
Forceps
- Allis tissue forceps have small interlocking teeth and are used to grasp intestinal tissue or skin.
- Sponge tissue forceps have circular, smooth or serrated tips for holding gauze.
- Babcock tissue forceps have broad, smooth tips for holding delicate tissues like intestine or bladder.
- Rat Tooth forceps have large teeth to hold thick tissue and skin.
- Adson Brown forceps have small serrations for holding light, delicate skin.
Hemostats
- Kelly hemostats have blunt tips and distal serrations, for holding large blood vessels.
- Mosquito hemostats are smaller with serrations covering the entire jaw, for delicate blood vessels.
- Crile hemostats have serrations along the entire length of the jaw, used for large vessels.
- Carmalt hemostats have long longitudinal serrations and cross-serrations at the tip, used for crushing large tissue bundles.
Retractors
- Senn retractors are double-ended and used to hold surface tissue open.
- Holman retractors are pointed and flat, used in orthopedic surgeries for tissue retraction.
- Gelpi retractors are self-retaining with sharp points, to hold open body cavities or shallow incisions.
- Weitlaner retractors are self-retaining with prongs to expose surgical sites.
- Balfour retractors are used for abdominal surgery, with loops and a central blade.
- Finochietto retractors are hand-crank devices used in thoracic surgery to separate ribs.
Towel Clamps
- Backhaus towel clamps have curved sharp tips, for holding towels or drapes to the patient.
- Jones towel clamps are thumb forceps without locks, used to secure towels or drapes.
Specialized Instruments
- Spay hooks are long, thin instruments used to locate uterine horns.
- Groove directors are grooved probes that guide a scalpel for incisions, especially along the linea alba.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Scalpel — Instrument for making surgical incisions.
- Hemostat — Clamp used to control bleeding by holding blood vessels.
- Forceps — Tweezer-like tool for grasping tissue or objects.
- Needle holder — Instrument for holding suturing needles.
- Retractor — Device to hold back tissue or organs for better visibility.
- Towel clamp — Tool to secure towels or drapes during surgery.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review and memorize the appearance and function of each instrument listed.
- Practice instrument identification using flashcards or images as provided in the lecture.