MAJOR & MINOR SURGICAL

INSTRUMENT

SCALPEL: Used for initial incision and cutting tissue. Consists of a blade and a handle. Surgeons often refer to the
instrument by its blade number.

#10 Blade: Used primarily for making large skin incisions, e.g., in
laparotomy.

#11 Blade: Used for making precise or sharply angled incisions.

#15 Blade: Smaller version of #10 blade used for making finer
incisions..
SCALPEL: Used for cutting tissue, suture, or for dissection. Scissors can be straight or curved, and may be used for
cutting heavy or finer structures.

Mayo Scissors: Heavy scissors available in multiple varieties.

Straight scissors are used for cutting suture (“suture scissors”),
while curved scissors are used for cutting heavy tissue (e.g., fascia)..

Metzenbaum Scissors: Lighter scissors used for cutting delicate

tissue (e.g., heart) and for blunt dissection. Also called “Metz” in
practice.

Pott’s Scissors: Fine scissors used for creating incisions in blood

vessels.

Iris Scissors: Used for fine dissection and cutting fine suture.
Originally for ophthalmic procedures, but now serves multipurpose
role.
FORCEPS: Also known as nonlocking forceps, grasping forceps, thumb forceps, or pick-ups. Used for grasping tissue
or objects. Can be toothed (serrated) or nontoothed at the tip.

Tissue Forceps: Non-toothed forceps used for fine handling of

tissue and traction during dissection.

Adson Forceps: Forceps toothed at the tip used for handling dense
tissue, such as in skin closures.

Bonney Forceps: Heavy forceps used for holding thick tissue (e.g.,
fascial closure).

DeBakey Forceps: Used for atraumatic tissue grasping during

dissection.

Russian Forceps: Used for atraumatic tissue grasping during

dissection.
CLAMPS: Also called locking forceps, these are ratcheted instruments used to hold tissue or objects or provide
hemostasis. Can be traumatic or atraumatic.

Crile Hemostat: aka “snap,” atraumatic and nontoothed clamp used

to grasp tissue or vessels that will be tied off. Also used in blunt
dissection.

Kelly Clamp: Larger size variation of hemostat with similar

function for grasping larger tissues or vessels.

Kocher Clamp: Traumatic toothed clamp used to hold tissue that

will be removed.

Babcock Clamp: Slightly rounded jaws, both are used for grasping
intestine.
RETRACTORS: In varying forms, retractors are used to hold an incision open, hold back tissues or other objects to
maintain a clear surgical field, or reach other structures. They can either be hand-held or self-retaining via a ratcheting
mechanism.

Deaver Retractor: Used to hold back the abdominal wall.

Army-Navy Retractor: Used to gain exposure of skin layers.

Weitlaner Retractor: Selfretaining for exposing deep or smaller

surgical sites. Also called “Wheaty.”

Richardson Retractor: Used to hold back deep tissue structures.

Also called “Rich.”

Bookwalter Retractor: Self-retaining retractor system that is

anchored to the operating table.
 Malleable Retractor: Can be bent and customized. Also used to
protect intestines during abdominal closure.

Rake Retractor: Hand-held retractor with sharp teeth used to hold

back surface structures.

SUCTION: Suction tips, combined with a suction source, help to remove debris and fluid from the surgical field. It can
also be used to clear surgical smoke.

Yankauer Suction Tube: Used primarily for surface suction and

some intra-abdominal suction.

Poole Suction Tube: Used to remove large amounts of fluid from

the surgical field, as well as intra-abdominal suction.

Frazier Suction Tip: Used primarily in ENT and neurosurgery.

Usually angled.
Absorbable Sutures
Absorbable sutures are broken down by the body via enzymatic reactions or hydrolysis. The time in which this absorption
takes place varies between material, location of suture, and patient factors.
Absorbable sutures are commonly used for deep tissues and tissues that heal rapidly; as a result, they may be used in small
bowel anastomosis, suturing in the urinary or biliary tracts, or tying off small vessels near the skin.

Non-Absorbable Sutures
Non-absorbable sutures are used to provide long-term tissue support, remaining walled-off by the body’s inflammatory
processes (until removed manually if required).
Uses include for tissues that heal slowly, such as fascia or tendons, closure of abdominal wall, or vascular anastomoses.