Surgical instruments perform the functions of holding, cutting, suturing and dissecting, among others. Most surgical instruments are made of stainless steel or other metals that are easily cleaned, disinfected and maintained. There are hundreds of different types of surgical instruments and as surgical procedures change, there will be a need to design more instruments. There are even different types of surgical instruments specific to different surgeries. The easiest way to explain the types of surgical instruments is to cover the basics.
Scissors
There are many different varieties of surgical scissors. Some surgical scissors have a blunt-ended blade while others have sharp, pointed ends. Surgical scissors have either curved or straight blades. Curved blades make some cutting requirements easier to perform. Other types of surgical scissors, like the Mayo scissors, have short cutting blades that are intended for cutting through thick or hard tissues. In contrast, Metzenbaum scissors have extremely long blades for cutting in and around tissues that are more delicate.
Forceps
Forceps look like long tweezers, but instead of plucking eyebrows, they hold organs and tissues during surgery. The teeth at their ends define the forceps. The Rat Tooth, Allis, Adson and Babcock are types of forceps that have kicked-in teeth for pinching tissues and organs to prevent them from slipping. The Sponge forceps have flat, hollow teeth that clamp to an organ.
Needle Holders
When sewing stitches into a tight body cavity, surgeons will use scissor-like clamps to clamp down on the ends of needles and work the needle in an out of the flesh. Mayo-Hegar and Olsen-Hegar are types of needle holders. Both types of needle holders can be clamped shut with a locking feature; the Olsen-Hegar also features a cutting blade.
Retractors
Retractors are the surgical instruments used to hold tissue and organs away from the surgery area. Senn and Hohman are types of hand-held retractors that feature both blunt and sharp ends for pushing body parts out of the way while a surgeon is performing. The Gelpi and Weitlaner are types of retractors with the ability to lock into place so that another surgeon or assistant does not need to hold back the hand-held retractors.
Scalpels
Scalpels are the knives used in surgery, and like kitchen knives, there are many varieties of scalpels. The handles of scalpels may be of different metals, removable or even disposable. The blades of scalpels are more complex. Numerous scalpel blades are available that make different surgery procedures easier to perform. Some scalpel-blade shapes will be better for cutting certain materials than others.
