Basic Instruments in the Operating Room

A. CUTTING OR DISSECTING INSTRUMENTS

1. Scalpel - A small straight knife with a thin sharp blade used in surgery and dissection.

a. Handle # 3

- blade nos. : 10,11,12,15,16 &17

b. Handle # 4

- blade nos. : 20 and above

2. Mayo Scissors

a. Straight Mayo

- Used to cut suture and supplies. Also known as: Suture scissors.

b. Curved Mayo

- Used to cut heavy tissue (fascia, muscle, uterus, breast).

3. Metzenbaum Scissors

- Used to cut delicate tissue.

B. CLAMPING INSTRUMENTS

4. Kelly Forceps

a. Curved Kelly

- used to clamp off vessels or tissues such as aorta or uterus.

b. Straight Kelly

- used to clamp off superficial arteries and vessels on the muscle layers. It is also used in
clamping umbilical cord during baby deliveries.

5. Mosquito Forceps

- Mosquito forceps are used for more delicate tissues. They are very fine and straight or curved
hemostatic forceps used during the surgery to control the bleeding of finer vessels or
compressing a bleeding vessel.

6. Babcock

- These forceps are more delicate than Allis but less directly traumatic. They have broad, flared
ends with smooth tips. These forceps are used to atraumatically hold viscera (bladder and
bowel).

7. Allis

- These forceps have interdigitating short teeth to grasp and hold tissue or bowel. These forceps
are slightly traumatic and hold intestine, fascia and skin.

8. Towel Clamps

- Towel-clamp forceps or simply towel clamps are used to maintain surgical towels and drapes in
the correct position during an operation.

9. Foerster Clamp

- A foerster clamp is a surgical clamp with a round eyelet. It is commonly used in body piercing,
particularly for tongue piercing.

10. Thumb Forceps

- A forcep operated by compression with thumb and forefinger used to hold skin/tissues.

11. Tissue Forceps

a. Tissue Forceps with Teeth

- They are used to hold skin/dense tissue. They have interdigitating teeth to hold tissue without
slipping.

b. Tissue Forceps without Teeth

- They are hinged forceps or locking forceps used for grasping and holding tissue.
12. Russian Forceps

- Tissue handling forceps with broad, spoon-shaped tips, serrated around the edge.

13. Adson Forceps

a. Adson with Teeth

- Standard tissue forceps with the opposing blade surfaces covered with long, needle-like teeth
used to grasp delicate tissues without slipping.

b. Adson without Teeth

- These forceps are meant for light, careful handling of tissue.

14. Debakey

- Delicate surgical thumb forceps with longitudinal ribs, designed for delicate, nontraumatic
vascular surgery.

15. Mixter Forceps

- Mixter forceps are useful for dissecting around venous structures. They are the threading
forceps used for hemostatic purposes.

16. Crile-wood Needle – Holder

- They lock to hold the needle in a manner which allows the operator to maneuver the needle
through the various tissues.

C. RETRACTORS

17. Malleable Retractor

- A type of retractor that can be shaped or formed to adjust on changing circumstances.

18. Weitlaner Retractor

- A self-retaining instrument, shaped like a scissors but the blades open when the ratcheted
handles are closed. The blades each have four downward-pointing, curved prongs which retain
their position in a spread wound.
19. Balfour Retractor

- Three individually operable, outward-looking curved loops mounted on a bar. By inserting the
blades into an incision and spreading them all the incision is opened to give maximum access to
tissues below. Available in standard and pediatric sizes, the latter being suitable for a ventral
approach to the vocal cords of the horse.

20. Deaver Retractors

- A Deaver Retractor is used to retract deep abdominal or chest incisions.

21. Richardson Retractors

- A handheld retractor used to retract deep abdominal incisions.

22. Army Navy Retractor

- A handheld retractor used to retract shallow or superficial incisions.

23. Senn Retractor

- A handheld instrument with a curled, three-pronged claw at one end and a right-angled, single
blade at the other. Suitable for short-term displacement of soft tissue.

24. Gelpi Retractor

- A self-retaining with two blades, hinged in the middle, separate as the handles are closed and
are held open by a rachet. The blades turn down at right angles at their tips, and are bowed
towards each other so that they push the edges of the incision apart and retain themselves in it.

25. Rake Retractor

- A metallic instrument with prongs set transversely for engaging and retracting soft tissues.

E. MISCELLANEOUS INSTRUMENTS

26. Rib Spreader

- Two broad, curved-outward blades which are mounted on a ratcheted bar. Spreading of the ribs
can be achieved by inserting the blades through the thoracotomy incision and spreading them
manually.
27. Curette

- A spoon-shaped surgical instrument used for cleaning a diseased surface. (e.g. To biopsy a
mass in the nose.)

28. Bone Rongeur

- a multijointed, springloaded, plier-like instrument used to break off pieces of bone.

REFERENCES:

Nursing Skills Laboratory Manual 2006 Edition (by H.G. Alnas et. al. )

http://www.surgicalsindia.com/surgical-equipments.html

http://www.solidnation.biz/surgical_and_dental_instruments.htm

http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/surgery/dse/medicalstudents/agnew/EducationalResources.html

http://www.answers.com

http://www.spectrumsurgical.com/