Surgical Instruments

Question 1

Scissors

Classified according to:

Answer 1

Points
* Blunt-blunt
* Sharp-sharp
* Sharp-blunt

Blade shape
* Straight
* Curved

Cutting edge
* Plain
* Serrated

Question 2

Scissors used to

Answer 2

• Cut inanimate objects like drapes and suture
• Cut tissue during surgery

Question 3

Metzenbaum scissors

Answer 3

• Delicate scissors
• Used for fine, thin tissue
• Curved or straight

Question 4

Mayo Scissors

Answer 4

• Heavier scissors
• Used to cut heavy tissue, such as fascia
• Curved or straight

Question 5

Suture removal scissors

Answer 5

• Concavity on one blade

Question 6

Bandage scissors

Answer 6

One tip is blunted to prevent the cutting of underlying tissue when it’s introduced
under the bandage edge

Question 7

Types of forceps

Answer 7

*Tissue forceps
*Hemostatic forceps

Question 8

Hemostats - Purpose?

Answer 8

*Technical name – hemostatic forceps
*Crushing instruments
*Used to clamp blood vessels and crush tissue that will be surgically
removed

Question 9

Hemostats classified according to

Answer 9

Shape
* Straight
* Curved

Serrations on the jaws
* Transverse (horizontal)
* Longitudinal
* Diagonal
* Combination

Question 10

Halstead Mosquito Hemostats (purpose & serration)

Answer 10

• Small jaws with fine transverse serrations
• Used to clamp small vessels

Question 11

Kelly forceps

Answer 11

• Transverse serrations
• Serrations only extend over the distal portion of the jaws

Question 12

Rochester-Carmalt forceps

Answer 12

• Large forceps
• Longitudinal grooves with cross grooves at the tip ends to prevent tissue slippage

Question 13

Tissue Forceps

Answer 13

Used to clamp and gently hold tissue

Question 14

Thumb forceps - What kind of tips?

Answer 14

*Non-locking tissue forceps
*Tweezer-like (do not call them tweezers!)

Classified by tips
* Rounded
* Pointed
* Flattened
* Teeth

Question 15

Adson-Brown tissue forceps

Answer 15

*General surgery forceps
*Two parallel rows of shallow teeth

Question 16

Adson 1x2 tissue forceps

Answer 16

• Used to grasp tissue firmly
• Can cause trauma to tissue
• One tooth on one tip and two teeth on the other

Question 17

Allis tissue forceps

Answer 17

*Used to grasp and retract tissue
*Can be traumatic to tissue

Question 18

Needle Holders

Answer 18

*Used to grasp and manipulate curved needles
*Also used to place scalpel blade onto the scalpel handle (don’t use fingers
– ouch!)

Question 19

Olsen-Hegar Needle Holders

Answer 19

• Scissors built into the jaws

Question 20

Mayo-Hegar Needle Holders

Answer 20

No scissors

Question 21

Needle Holder vs Hemostat

Answer 21

*Needle holders look similar to hemostats, but the jaws are shorter and
thicker
*Needle holders have cross-hatch serrations (to ensure firm grip on needle),
while hemostats have transverse serrations (most common)

Question 22

Towel Clamps

Answer 22

*Keeps sterile drapes and surgical towels in place
*Penetrating and non-penetrating tips

Question 23

Backhaus towel clamps

Answer 23

*Most common type
*Different sizes
*Penetrating tips

Question 24

Miscellaneous Instruments

Snook Spay hook

Answer 24

• Used to locate the uterine horns during an ovariohysterectomy (spay)

Question 25

Retractors

Answer 25

*Used to retract tissue gently
*Can take the place of an assistant

Question 26

Skin staplers

Answer 26

• Used to quickly close an incision

Question 27

Suture

Answer 27

A strand of material used to approximate tissues or ligate a blood vessel

Classified by
* Size
* Absorbable or non-absorbable
* Natural or synthetic
* Monofilament or multifilament

Question 28

Size of Suture

Answer 28

*Suture size ranges from 11-0 to #7 (smallest to largest)
*When there’s an ‘0’ after the number, it’s pronounced ‘ought’
*The higher the ‘ought’, the smaller the diameter
*The higher the number (no ‘ought’), the larger the diameter
Small Large
5-0 4-0 3-0 2-0 0 1 2 3

Large animal suture
*#1 - #7

Question 29

Absorbable vs Non-Absorbable Suture

Answer 29

• Loses it’s tensile strength within 60 days after placement
• Eventually absorbed by the body
  Non-absorbable
• Not reabsorbed by the body
• Usually used for skin sutures that are then removed in 14 days

Read the package! It will say if the suture is absorbable or non-absorbable

Question 30

Chromic gut

Answer 30

• Absorbable suture
• Made from sheep or cow intestine
• Chrome added during manufacturing
• Rapidly reabsorbed
• Usually used in dental procedures

Question 31

Suture selection is critical!

Sutures can be

Answer 31

• Soft or hard
• Have good or poor tensile strength
• Have good or poor knot retention
• Be absorbed quickly or not at all
• Be reactive or non-reactive

Question 32

Suture Needles
Classified by

Answer 32

*Shape
*Needle point

Question 33

Needle point

Answer 33

*Most common
* Cutting and reverse cutting – three cutting edges

• Taper – sharp tip that pierces and spreads tissues without cutting them (intestine,
  bladder, hollow organs)

Most suture has a swaged needle

*Swaged needles – the needle and suture are joined in a continuous unit

Question 34

Tissue Adhesives

Answer 34

*A surgical adhesive that rapidly
polymerizes in the presence of
moisture and produces a strong
flexible bond
*Will only hold skin edges that are
fairly close together
*Not extremely strong – will come
apart with excessive tension on
wound

Question 35

How long before an absorbable suture loses its tensile strength?

Answer 35

Within 60 days of replacement

Question 36

How long after non-absorbable sutures are placed until they are removed?

Answer 36

14 days