Human bodies are complicated. Each person has multiple organs covered with tissues and surrounded by many small arteries and veins. Do not forget the 206 bones that our skeleton is made of. Our bodies are sensitive and prone to many different illnesses and injuries. In case of a severe injury or disease, we may need proper surgical treatment to get back into shape. For this purpose, our surgeons study and train for years until they get to treat a real patient. During surgery, surgeons use multiple surgical instruments. Choosing a suitable surgical instrument is an important step because the wrong ones can make the situation much worse and cause harm to the patient.
Surgical instruments are usually made of German stainless material to make them durable and rust-proof. Some also contain titanium, tungsten carbide inserts, or chrome-plated material. They can be reused after proper sterilization. While choosing an instrument, you should have basic knowledge about it. Let us divide surgical instruments into four types. That way, it will be easier to learn their usage and functions.
- Cutting
A wide range of surgical scissors is made for cutting tissues, sutures, hair, skin, meshes, etc. They usually have sharp edges for a smooth cutting process. Some come with blunt tips to ensure an atraumatic tissue dissection. Some dissection scissors also have serrations on their blades. These instruments can be found in multiple variations in sizes and styles. You can get ones with straight or curved tips. Straight ones are suitable for use on the surface of the body, while the curved ones can go deeper inside the surgical site. You should choose the length according to the depth of the incision you need to make. There are also SuperCut and Super Sharp scissors for a smooth cut and minimal tissue damage.
The most commonly used scissors are Lister Bandage Scissors, Bandage and Plaster Shears, Noyes Iris Scissors, Castroviejo Corneal Scissors, Fergusson Abdominal Scissors, Mayo Dissecting Scissors, Metzenbaum Scissors, Microsurgery Scissors, etc.
- Clamping
These instruments are used for compressing organs or blood vessels to prevent them from leaking. They control bleeding during the surgery. You can get them in straight, curved, or angled design with or without serrations on the jaw. Serrations make the jaw nonskid and help in avoiding any accidents.
The most commonly used forceps are Adson Hemostatic forceps, Phaneuf Uterine Artery Forceps, Crile Hemostatic Forceps, Mosquito Hemostatic Forceps, etc.
- Holding or Grasping
During surgeries, surgical instruments are used to hold the dressing, tissues, blood vessels, or sutures. These are different from hemostatic forceps as they are not used for ligation. They just hold the tissue for a while. You can either get them with a finger-ring mechanism or in the form of tweezers.
Example: Gerald Dressing Forceps, Thumb Tissue Forceps, Adson Forceps With Teeth, Jacobs Vulsellum Forceps, etc.
- Retraction
Retractors are used to keep an incision or wound open. This helps the surgeon in exploring the surgical site easily without it being covered by the surrounding tissues. You can get handheld retractors or self-retaining retractors for more feasibility. Balfour Abdominal retractor is an excellent self-retaining retractor ideal for use during abdominal surgeries. You can also get Gelpi Retractor, Finochietto Rib Spreader, Bent Hohmann Retractor, Deaver Retractors, Femoral Tibial Spreaders, etc.
There are many other instruments that do not fall into the categories discussed above. However, the above types will be suitable for attaining a basic level of understanding regarding surgical instruments.
GerMedUSA Inc. is the manufacturer and supplier of high-quality surgical instruments. Their German-forged stainless instruments are ideal for use during surgery. You can get the ones with tungsten carbide inserts, titanium, color-coating, or serrations for even better performance. Visit their website and choose the ones that suit your surgical needs the best.
