How Do I Select Appropriate Surgical Instruments for My Application?

 When you are selecting surgical instruments for a procedure, here are a few key points to consider

• What procedure are you performing? Published research papers usually indicate which instruments other researchers have used for similar procedures. The correct surgical instrument for a particular procedure makes a difference on the outcome of that technique.
• What is the size of your subject? An instrument that is perfect for a 200­–300 g rat (about 22–25 cm long) may not be the best choice for a neo-natal mouse of about 15 g (about 1–2.5 cm long).
• How often will the instrument be used? If you perform more than 100 cuts per day, a pair of titanium scissors or a pair of scissors with tungsten carbide inserts would be worth considering. They stay sharp longer.

  Types of Surgical Instruments

  Most of our surgical instruments can be used for general surgery in a research laboratory setting. Instruments may be roughly categorized by function:

  • Cutting instruments include scissors, surgical blades, knives and scalpels.
  • Grasping or holding instruments include hemostatic forceps and tissue forceps.
  • Retractors, which hold incisions open or hold an organ (or tissue) out of the way, include Gelpi, Weitlaner and US Army style instruments.

  In addition to surgical instruments, we have many accessories available, which include all the extras needed for surgery. These include clamps, from large towel clamps to delicate vessel clips and bulldog clamps, drills, sutures, binocular loupes, biopsy punches and more.

Cutting Instruments

Scissors are cutting instrument with two blades joined together at a pivot point so that the sharp edges glide against each other to shear material that is between the blades. Here are some tips to keep in mind when selecting an appropriate pair of surgical scissors:

• Fine tip scissors (like Vannas, Castroviejos and McPhersons) are ideal for use in very restricted spaces. They are perfect for right or left hand use, and are designed for ophthalmological procedures, which require a delicate incision of tissue. You can make quick, accurate cuts with minimal tissue damage using these sharp blades.
• Curve tipped scissors are a good choice when you want to avoid cutting underlying tissues.
• Scissors designed with a heavier construction (like Metzenbaum, Mayo and SuperCut scissors) are useful for cutting fur, thicker tissue or vessels

Some common types of scissors include:

• Vannas scissors are delicate spring scissors, which are perfect for right or left hand use. They are used frequently in ophthalmic and neurosurgical applications. The fine scissor blades are sharp. Vannas scissors work well under a dissection microscope.
• Castroviejo scissors were designed for ophthalmologic procedures, which require a delicate incision of tissue. You can make quick, accurate cuts with minimal tissue damage using these sharp blades.
• McPherson-Vannas scissors were originally designed for ophthalmologic work requiring fine delicate blades for such intricate work.

Grasping Instruments

Surgical forceps may be broadly divided into two categories, ring forceps (also called hemostats, hemostatic forceps and locking forceps) and thumb forceps (frequently called tweezers or pinning forceps). Here are some tips to keep in mind when selecting an appropriate pair of forceps:

• Reverse forceps are self-closing. You squeeze them to open them. They provide uniform tension.
• Ceramic tipped forceps are non-porous, corrosion and heat resistant and insulated.
• Straight tips on forceps are used for general precision work, and slightly curved or fully curved tips provide more visibility

Thumb forceps are spring forceps used by compression between your thumb and forefinger and are used for grasping, holding or manipulating body tissue. They have no ratchet in the handle. Two broad categories of thumb forceps are dressing forceps and tissue forceps. Dressing forceps are used when dressing wounds and removing dressings. Very fine dressing forceps are also used in eye surgery. Tissue forceps generally have teeth, which offer a better grip on tissues while minimizing tissue damage.

Common types of thumb forceps include:

• Adson tissue forceps are designed for grasping delicate tissues, and they have 1x2 teeth.
• Bonn tissue forceps are designed for delicate work, and they include a tying platform to assist when you are tying sutures.

Retractors

Retractors are used to hold an incision or a wound open, to hold an organ or tissue out of the way to expose what's underneath. 

• An assistant, a robot or the surgeon must hold hand retractors during a procedure.
• Self-retaining retractors have a mechanical device for holding tissue during surgery, allowing hands-free operations. Self-retaining retractors have a screw, ratchet or some type of clamp to hold the tissue by itself. These allow the surgeon to operate with two free hands.
• Wire retractors are the simplest style of retractor. Usually the wire has some spring so that the surgeon can pinch it together, position it and release it. These also free up the surgeon's hands.

Choosing Your Instruments

The instruments you select for your procedure are affected by many factors. Basic knowledge of common surgical instruments can help you select appropriate tools for your application. If you have questions regarding our surgical instruments, please email us at info@accuraminstruments.com or give us a call at +92 52 3560865