There are many different surgical specialties, some of which require specific kinds of surgical instruments to perform.
General surgery is a specialty focused on the abdomen; the thyroid gland; diseases involving skin, breasts, and various soft tissues; trauma; peripheral vascular disease; hernias; and endoscopic procedures.
Instruments can be classified in many ways, but, broadly speaking, there are five kinds of instruments. Cutting and dissecting instruments Grasping or holding instruments Hemostatic instruments Retractors Tissue unifying instruments and materials
Instruments used in surgery are:Children with Tracheostomies Resource Guide, by Marilyn K. Kertoy, p. 15 (Google book search)See Mr R McElroy for details of various operations and the unintended effects of chemical cauterizationHow do they get the hole through a hypodermic needle?
Instrument Name Image Brief description Specific instruments Electrical cautery Electrical surgical cauterization utilizes electricity in either a monopolar or bipolar format to burn soft tissue and control bleeding Bovie pencil Monopolar hook Monopolar spatula Bipolar forceps Curette For scraping or debriding biological tissue or debris in a biopsy, excision, or cleaning procedure Dermatome Removes epidermis to graft over another area Dissecting forceps Grasping and holding; usually used in skin closures or small woundsAdson Tissue forceps Grasping and holding tissue Allis Penetrating towel clamp Used to secure towels or reduce bone fragmentsBackhaus penetrating towel clamp Carmalt forceps Hemostatic forcepsKalabasa Cushing forceps Grasping and holding Non-toothed dissecting forceps Dandy forceps Hemostatic forceps DeBakey forceps Grasping and holding Non-toothed dissecting forceps designed for use on blood vessels, organs, or delicate tissue Doyen intestinal clamp Clamps and distractors Non-crushing clamp designed for use on the intestines Kelly forceps Hemostatic forceps Kocher forceps Hemostatic forceps Mosquito forceps Hemostatic forceps Hook Retractor Nerve hook Retractor Skin hook Retractor Lancet (scalpel) Cutting Mammotome Needle holder Grasping and holding Castroviejo Crilewood Mayo-Hegar Olsen-Hegar Retractor RetractorHandheld:
Deaver Army-Navy Richardson Richardson-Eastmann Ribbon
Self-retaining:
Weitlaner O'Connor-O'Sullivan Thompson Omni-Tract Ultrasonic scalpel Cutting Laser scalpel Cutting Scissors Cutting and spreadingMay be curved or straight
Iris Metzenbaum's Mayo Tenotomy Speculum Used to retract orifices Graves' Sim's Suction tube and Yankeur suction tip Accessories and implants Surgical elevator Surgical hook Retractor Surgical blade #15 Used to cut vessels or make small incisions Surgical mesh Accessories and implants Surgical needle Accessories and implants Surgical sponge GIA stapler Used to make a gastrointestinal anastamosisLinear stapler Surgical tray Suture Tongue depressor Tonsillotome Towel clamp Clamp Towel forceps Clamp Backhaus towel forceps Lorna towel clampNon-penatrating towel clamp Tracheotome Tissue expander Accessories and implant Subcutaneous inflatable balloon expander Accessories and implants Trephine Cutting instrument Trocar Access instrument. Used to create an opening into a space without opening the abdominal cavity. A camera is inserted through one to view the interior while instruments are inserted through the others to manipulate the organs. Ultrasonic energy device Surgical device typically used to dissect tissue, but also seals small vessels and tissue bundles
References