Surgical Instrument Categories

Surgical Instrument Categories

• Clamping and Occluding: These instruments compress or close blood vessels or hollow organs, for hemostasis (stopping bleeding) or occlusion (blocking an opening).
  • Examples include Crile hemostatic forceps and tube occluding clamps.
• Cutting and Dissecting: These instruments separate or incise, dissect or excise soft or compact tissue.
  • Examples include scalpels, Iris scissors and curettes.
• Grasping and Holding: Instruments designed to grip, manipulate, and stabilize body tissues.
  • They also may be used to extract foreign bodies.
  • Examples include Allis tissue forceps, and Backhaus towel clamps.
• Dilating and Probing: These instruments probe, expand, examine, or create an anatomic passage.
  • They may be used to enlarge or open a stricture (narrowed passage) or introduce another instrument.
  • Examples include uterine dilator, mini-dilators/OS finders, and probes with eyes.
• Exposing and Retracting: Designed to pull aside or hold back wound edges and other tissues, gaining access to the surgical site.
  • These are usually called "retractors" with blunt "blades" that may be curved or angled, or with sharp or dull prongs.
  • They vary in size, and some come in a variety of shapes, lengths and widths depending on functional needs.
  • Examples include: bone hooks, Volkman retractors, and Zalkind retractors.
• Aspirating and Suctioning: Used to remove blood, other fluids, and debris from the operating site.
  • These instruments are hollow tipped and come in a variety of sizes and shapes for ease of access.
  • Examples include: cannulas, aspiration suction tubes.
• Stapling and Suturing: Align, secure, and approximate the edges of soft or compact tissue for healing.
  • They may employ implants like sutures, staples, clips, wires, or screws.
  • Examples include: needle holders, suture needles, and terminal end staplers.
• Viewing: Allow the practitioner to illuminate a cavity or structure.
  • Examples include endoscopes, nasal specula, and lighted vaginal specula.

Accessories

• Accessories are important tools that don't fit into the main categories but are crucial for specific surgical procedures.
  • Examples include mallets, harmonic scalpels, and guide pins.