About Forceps

Forceps are tools used in medicine by doctors and surgeons to clasp onto things that are too small for people to grab with their fingers. They can also be used to keep things clasped when an operator needs their hands to do other things as well. They are used in numerous medical operations in differing fields. There are also a couple different types of forceps that vary on the way they operate and the location of their hinge.

Significance

• Forceps are a very useful and important tool in medical operations. Without them, surgeons would have a hard time reaching parts of the body, such as veins or arteries, without harming nearby parts that could complicate the operation. Not only do they make many surgical operations easier and faster to complete, they are also important in matters of childbirth where there are complications with the baby. In this case, forceps can help a mother deliver the baby without damaging either.

History

• The modern forceps were created in 1600 by Peter Chamberlain. They were kept a family secret for generations and were used in the aid of childbirth by the family until 1734, when the report Cases in Midwifery leaked the forceps design. Three different variations of the tool were created and used for medicinal purposes at that time. By 1929, there were over 550 different varieties of forceps that were used for a wide variety of medical operations besides childbirth.

Identification

• Among the various types of forceps, there are just about two different designs that you can use to identify the device. Forceps are hinged devices with flat surfaces on the end that come together to clamp or hold things together. The hinge for the forceps can either be at the opposite end of these flat surfaces, making them look like over-sized tweezers, or in the in middle of the forceps, which will look more like scissors without the blades.

Types

• There are three main types of forceps that can be discussed. The first look like tweezers. These are hinged at one end, with clamping flat parts at the opposite end. The two other types are hinged in the middle and look like scissors with flat ends instead of blades. These can either be unlocked hinges, which require constant force to be placed on them, or locked forceps which, when clasped, can be locked in that position so that they don't have to be held during an operation. Forceps are usually made of metal, though there are plastic types that are only meant to be used once before they are disposed of.

Benefits

• Forceps used in surgeries make it easier for doctors to grasp parts of the body that could be hard to do with fingers. They can be used to stick gauze into open wounds or deep into the body to stop blood fall without damaging nearby organs or blood vessels. In the delivery of children, they have the ability of aiding in a smooth and quick delivery that can be induced without having to resort to a cesarean operation.

Warning

• There are negative results that can arise from the use of forceps in the delivery of a child, both affecting the mother and the child. Forceps are mildly invasive and when used in aiding birth can cause damage to the internal tissues and birth canal of the mother. Since there is always some force that must be used, this damage can be severe when the forceps are in the hand of an inexperienced doctor. The child can also be hurt when forceps are used. Pressure is applied to the head and the neck of the child as it is pulled out, which could affect sensitive bone alignment and cause bruising of the skin.