Definitions of Surgical Instruments

Many surgical instruments are made from stainless steel. The list below is a small sampling of the instruments used during surgery. When using these and the various other instruments during surgery there has to be someone in the room that keeps up with every instrument to make sure that none is left inside the patient. If this were to happen serious complications could arise, including death.

Dissectors

• A scalpel is a sharp dissector that is used for cutting muscle and skin during surgery. Curettes are blunt dissectors that are used to scrape debris and tissue during a biopsy.

Probing Instrument

• An anal probe is used to find and identify parasites, digestive problems or organ damage.

Retractors

• Senn retractors are most often used in hand or foot surgery. They are double ended; one end is L-shaped and the other end has three bent prongs.

Grasping and Holding Instruments

• Clamps are used to hold or secure things to keep them from moving or separating. Forceps are hinged instruments that are used to hold objects that fingers may be too big to grasp.

Suction

• Suction devices are used to remove blood and other fluids from the surgical area. This helps doctors see what they are doing during surgery.