OPERATING

ROOM

Cutting and Dissecting Instruments

- are used for cutting and dissecting the skin, tissue and suture material. These
instruments usually have sharp edges which enable the surgeon to cut and
dissect tissue so as to explore irregular growths and to remove dangerous or
damaged tissue.

Scalpels
- a fine-edge cutting instrument with a blade that allows the surgeon to exert
maximum control while cutting tissues, and is used to make incisions in the
skin or other tissues.

Functions of Scalpel
- The scalpel is most commonly used to make the initial incision that opens
the body for surgery. Scalpels are also used to cut the skin in abdominal
operations.
Blades
Surgical blades come in sterile packaging and the number on a surgical blade
communicates both its size and its shape. Some common types and numbers of
blades include the following:

The #10 – A large curved cutting edge, which represents a more traditional blade
shape. It is used for cutting soft tissue, typically with large incisions.

The #11 – A long,

triangular blade with
the hypotenuse
as its sharpest edge. Because of its pointed tip, it is typically used for stabbing
incisions and/or short, precise cuts that are shallow.

The #12 – A small,

pointed, crescent-
shaped blade used
typically as a suture cutter. It is most sharp on the inside edge of its curve.
The #15 – Ideal for making short, precise incisions because of its small, curved
cutting edge.

The #20 - A large

curved blade
commonly used for cutting tissue and other procedures that require a puncture or
cut.

The #21 –Similar to the #20, it features a large curved blade commonly used for
cutting tissue and other procedures that require a puncture or cut.
The #22 –

Essentially a larger version of the #10, it has a flat, unsharpened back edge and a
short, curved cutting edge. These blades are best for creating large incisions, often
through thick skin.

The #23 – A large

blade that is slightly narrower than the #21 and #21. It also has a pointier tip.

Scissors
 - are surgical instruments usually used for cutting
Trauma Shears
- For use in emergency medical response and rescue should it be necessary to
cut off clothing. The rounded tips are designed to slide across the patient’s
skin without causing injury

Straight Mayo (Suture)

- primarily used for cutting
surface tissue or sutures

Curved Mayo
- Used to cut heavy tissue
Metzenbaum Scissors
- designed for cutting delicate tissue and blunt dissection

Tenotomy Scissors
- used for delicate
dissection and cutting
Iris Straight Scissors
- Use to cut bandages, gauze,
sutures, excess skin
around a wound
Iris Curved
Scissors
- Used in medical
applications
for ophthalmic
applications.
They are used in
eye surgery as a
surgical
scissor

Littauer Suture Scissors

- are primarily used for suture removal
Grasping and Clamping
Instruments
Hemostat Forceps
- are surgical tools used to control bleeding by clamping and holding blood
vessels so cauterization or ligation can be performed

Mosquito Forceps
Crile Forceps

Kelly Forceps
- essential component
for any tactical medical kit
to clamp large blood
vessels, manipulate heavy
tissue, and dissect soft tissue
Needle Holders
- used to grasp a suture
needle firmly

Splinter
Forceps
- used for
grasping and
removing
small foreign objects with their fine, pointed tips
Adson
Forceps
- are ideal for

removing sutures, holding tissue, moving dressings and removing drainage

tubes

Plain Thumb Forceps

- are spring forceps used by compression between your thumb and forefinger
and are used for grasping, holding or manipulating body tissue
Allis

Tissue Forceps
- Used to grasp tissue, muscle, or skin
surrounding a wound

Foerster Forceps
- Used to hold gauze
squares to sponge the
surgical site
Transfer Forceps
- Sterile transfer forceps may be used to
arrange items on a sterile tray

Bayonet Forceps
- a two-bladed instrument with a handle, used for compressing or grasping
tissues in surgical operations, handling sterile dressings, and other purposes
Toothed Tissue Forceps
- used for handling dense tissue, such as in skin closures