Surgery has come along way over the years. A really long way. Here are the first documented surgical instruments, other than human teeth and hands, that is.
“Elective surgery requires planned incisions and incisions require appropriate blades. In the prehistoric era, division of the umbilical cord and other minor procedures were probably undertaken with human teeth and nails, and later with plant, animal and mineral substitutes, as witnessed by studies of primitive societies still surviving or recently extinct. More efficient metallic blades appeared in historic times and ultimately generated five specific shapes which are analyzed in detail. Today, as minimally invasive techniques, endoscopes, laser and ultrasound sources evolve; many hallowed incisions of surgical access diminish in length or disappear entirely. In historical terms, elective surgery of the twentieth century will be recalled as an interlude characterized by maximally invasive incisions.”
An instrument is categorized according to its function. Here are a few categories:
Clamping/Occluding
Example: Number 1 in above photo: Crile Hemostat
Clamping and Occluding Instruments are designed to occlude or constrict tissue
Construction
Opposing ring handles for fingers
Interlocking ratchets
Two shanks that connect the ringed handles to the box lock, or hinge joint of the clamp
Include vascular clamps, intestinal clamps, and hemostatic clamps
Grasping/Holding
Examples: Number 4 Debakey Forceps and number 6 Babcock Forceps
Instruments designed to manipulate tissue
Facilitate dissection or suturing or to reduce and stabilize fractured bone during internal fixation
May or may not have a ratcheted locking mechanism
Include tissue forceps and bone-holding clamps
Cutting and Dissecting
Examples: Number 2 Mayo Scissors and number 3 #3 Knife Handle
Instruments designed for cutting suture, tissue, dressings, drapes, and other items
Construction:
Scissors have straight or curved blades with finger rings for use. Angled or blunt blades have a flattened tip to protect tissue.
Knife handles are used to hold various blades to create a scalpel. Scalpels are used to make skin incisions or whenever a fine precision cut is necessary
Surgical Tech Instruments in the Operating Room
Retracting/Viewing
Example: Number 5 Army Navy Retractor
Retractors
Instruments designed for exposure of the operative site
Viewing instruments
May provide retraction
Main function is to allow visualization of a structure
Probing and Dilating
Example: Number 9 Hank Dilators
Probes
Malleable, wire-like instruments for the exploration of a structure
Include fistulas, ducts, or vessels
Dilators
Gradually dilate an orifice or duct to allow for introduction of larger instrumentation or to open a stricture
Include urethral dilators
Suturing and Suctioning
Needle holders
Example: Number 8 Mayo-Hegar Needle Holder
Used to hold a curved suture needle for suturing
Suctioning
Example: Number 7 Yankauer Suction Tip:
Removal of blood and body fluids from an operative site to provide better visualization
Micro instrumentation
Instruments used to perform microsurgery
Small, delicate, and precise devices
When used with an operating microscope, allow manipulation and repair of very small structures or tissue
Typically made of titanium or stainless steel
Designed to be held with the thumb and forefinger
If you are interested in learning more specific names of surgical instruments, surgical procedures, or how to be an awesome Surgical Technologist – enroll in Surgery Tech classes today!