Introduction to Surgical Instruments
● The following are the most common surgical specialties:
○ General
○ Vascular
○ OB/GYN
○ Neurology
○ Orthopedics
○ Plastics
○ Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT)
○ Cardiothoracic
○ Genitourinary (GU)
○ Robotic, endoscopic, and laparoscopic
● Some of the most common procedures in each specialty:
General Vascular OB/GYN Neurology Orthopedics
Inguinal hernia AV fistula Hysterectomy Craniotomy Total knee
repair arthroplasty
Appendectomy Thrombectomy Tubal ligation Burr holes Total hip
arthroplasty
Colectomy Greenfield filter Dilation and Laminectomy Distal radius
curettage repair
Colostomy Abdominal aortic Hysteroscopy Cervical fusion Anterior Cruciate
aneurysm Ligament repair
Plastic ENT Cardiothoracic Genitourinary Robotic/Endos
copic/Laparosc
opic
Breast reduction Tympanoplasty Pacemaker Hydrocelectomy Laparoscopic
cholecystectomy
Breast Myringotomy CABG Prostatectomy Laparoscopic
augmentation robotic hernia
Abdominoplasty Stapedectomy Thoracotomy Nephrectomy Laparoscopic
robotic
hysterectomy
Skin graft Cochlear implant VATS Penile implant Colonscopy
, Overview of Surgical Instruments
Classification of Surgical Instruments
● Suctioning devices:
○ Used to suction blood and other bodily fluids during a surgical procedure.
○ Examples: Fraziers, Pooles, and Yankauer.
○ Clamping and occluding instruments:
○ Used to clamp off bleeders and provide hemostasis. Hemostasis is a term used
within the perioperative environment that describes the control of bleeding.
○ Examples: Hemostat clamp, Kelly, and Kocher.
● Cutting instruments:
○ Used to dissect tissues and cut suture material, drains, and dressings.
○ Examples: Metzenbaum scissors, straight and curved mayo scissors.
● Grasping/holding instruments:
○ Used to “pick up” or grasp tissues and other structures within the human body.
They can also be used to exert traction.
○ Examples: Debakeys, Adson, Gerald, Russian, and many more.
● Retractors:
○ A Richardson retractor would be used to retract or expose an organ or organs in
the abdominal cavity for visualization.
○ Examples: Rib spreader, Army-Navy, Deaver, and Malleable retractors.
● Viewing instruments:
○ The surgical team has to have exposure to view the area they’re operating on.
○ Examples: A 30-degree lens.
● Cutting instruments:
○ Used to dissect tissues and cut suture material, drains, and dressings.
○ Examples: Metzenbaum scissors, straight and curved mayo scissors.
● Dilating instruments: `
○ Used to widen a space such as a cervix.
○ Examples: Hegar and Pratt and cannulas.
Anatomy of the Surgical Instrument
The Hemostat
● Jaws-
○ The jaws touch the human tissue.
○ Jaws can be used to dissect human tissue or clamp bleeders during surgery.
○ Several of the jaws of instrumentation contain serration.
● Box Lock-
○ Box locks typically have a tiny screw placed on them to keep them secure and
assist in keeping the jaws of the instrument together.
○ The box lock is considered to be the weakest part of the surgical instrument and
can be extremely difficult to clean.
● The following are the most common surgical specialties:
○ General
○ Vascular
○ OB/GYN
○ Neurology
○ Orthopedics
○ Plastics
○ Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT)
○ Cardiothoracic
○ Genitourinary (GU)
○ Robotic, endoscopic, and laparoscopic
● Some of the most common procedures in each specialty:
General Vascular OB/GYN Neurology Orthopedics
Inguinal hernia AV fistula Hysterectomy Craniotomy Total knee
repair arthroplasty
Appendectomy Thrombectomy Tubal ligation Burr holes Total hip
arthroplasty
Colectomy Greenfield filter Dilation and Laminectomy Distal radius
curettage repair
Colostomy Abdominal aortic Hysteroscopy Cervical fusion Anterior Cruciate
aneurysm Ligament repair
Plastic ENT Cardiothoracic Genitourinary Robotic/Endos
copic/Laparosc
opic
Breast reduction Tympanoplasty Pacemaker Hydrocelectomy Laparoscopic
cholecystectomy
Breast Myringotomy CABG Prostatectomy Laparoscopic
augmentation robotic hernia
Abdominoplasty Stapedectomy Thoracotomy Nephrectomy Laparoscopic
robotic
hysterectomy
Skin graft Cochlear implant VATS Penile implant Colonscopy
, Overview of Surgical Instruments
Classification of Surgical Instruments
● Suctioning devices:
○ Used to suction blood and other bodily fluids during a surgical procedure.
○ Examples: Fraziers, Pooles, and Yankauer.
○ Clamping and occluding instruments:
○ Used to clamp off bleeders and provide hemostasis. Hemostasis is a term used
within the perioperative environment that describes the control of bleeding.
○ Examples: Hemostat clamp, Kelly, and Kocher.
● Cutting instruments:
○ Used to dissect tissues and cut suture material, drains, and dressings.
○ Examples: Metzenbaum scissors, straight and curved mayo scissors.
● Grasping/holding instruments:
○ Used to “pick up” or grasp tissues and other structures within the human body.
They can also be used to exert traction.
○ Examples: Debakeys, Adson, Gerald, Russian, and many more.
● Retractors:
○ A Richardson retractor would be used to retract or expose an organ or organs in
the abdominal cavity for visualization.
○ Examples: Rib spreader, Army-Navy, Deaver, and Malleable retractors.
● Viewing instruments:
○ The surgical team has to have exposure to view the area they’re operating on.
○ Examples: A 30-degree lens.
● Cutting instruments:
○ Used to dissect tissues and cut suture material, drains, and dressings.
○ Examples: Metzenbaum scissors, straight and curved mayo scissors.
● Dilating instruments: `
○ Used to widen a space such as a cervix.
○ Examples: Hegar and Pratt and cannulas.
Anatomy of the Surgical Instrument
The Hemostat
● Jaws-
○ The jaws touch the human tissue.
○ Jaws can be used to dissect human tissue or clamp bleeders during surgery.
○ Several of the jaws of instrumentation contain serration.
● Box Lock-
○ Box locks typically have a tiny screw placed on them to keep them secure and
assist in keeping the jaws of the instrument together.
○ The box lock is considered to be the weakest part of the surgical instrument and
can be extremely difficult to clean.
