Basic Surgical Instrumentation & Terminology (Video)

Hand-held, non-powered surgical instrument

A basic manual instrument used in surgery, operated without power.

Powered tools or devices

Instruments powered by electricity, compressed gas, or battery for drilling, sawing, cutting bone, or cauterizing tissue.

Endoscopic equipment

Instruments used to perform minimally invasive surgery or examine internal organs through small incisions.

Cutting and dissecting instruments

Sharp tools used to cut body tissues or surgical supplies; includes knife handles and scissors.

Knife handles

Handles that hold blades (e.g., 7 with 15 blade, 3 with 10 blade, 4 with 20 blade) for cutting at different tissue depths.

7 handle with 15 blade (deep knife)

Knife handle paired with a 15 blade used to cut deep, delicate tissue.

3 handle with 10 blade (inside knife)

Knife handle paired with a 10 blade used to cut superficial tissue.

4-handle with 20 blade (skin knife)

Knife handle paired with a 20 blade used to cut skin.

Straight Mayo scissors

Scissors used to cut sutures and supplies; also called suture scissors.

Curved Mayo scissors

Scissors used to cut heavy tissue (fascia, muscle, uterus, breast); available in regular and long sizes.

Metzenbaum scissors

Scissors used to cut delicate tissue; available in regular and long sizes.

Mosquito

A small hemostat/clamp used to clamp tiny blood vessels; jaws may be straight or curved.

Kelly

Clamp used to clamp larger vessels and tissue; available in short and long sizes; also known as Rochester Pean.

Rochester-Pean

Alternative name for the Kelly hemostat.

Burlisher

Clamp used to clamp deep blood vessels; two closed finger rings; open-ring version is called tonsil hemostats; also Schnidt forcep or Adson forcep.

Tonsil hemostat

Burlisher with an open finger ring; also Schnidt tonsil forcep or Adson forcep.

Right angle

Clamp used to reach hard-to-access vessels and to place sutures behind/around a vessel; with a suture attached it is called a tie on a passer (Mixter).

Tie on a passer

A right-angle instrument with a suture attached used to pass a suture around structures.

Mixter

Another name for a right-angle clamp used as a passer.

Grasping & Holding Instruments

Instruments used to hold tissue, drapes, or sponges during surgery.

Allis

Grasping instrument for tissue; comes in short and long sizes; Judd-Allis holds intestinal tissue; heavy Allis holds breast tissue.

Judd-Allis

A variation of Allis forceps used for holding intestinal tissue.

Babcock

Grasps delicate tissue (such as intestine, fallopian tube, ovary); available in short and long sizes.

Kocher

Grasps heavy tissue; can be used as a clamp; jaws may be straight or curved; also called Ochsner.

Ochsner

Alternate name for Kocher instrument.

Foerster sponge stick

Grasps sponges; also known as sponge forcep.

Dissector

Used to dissect and hold tissue; example: a dissector holding a peanut.

Backhaus towel clip

Used to hold towels and drapes in place; also called towel clip.

Abdominal tissue layers

Layers of tissue encountered in the abdomen: skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, muscle, and peritoneum.

Skin

Cutting layer; uses non-absorbable sutures in some closures.

Subcutaneous tissue

Layer beneath the skin; color typically yellow in diagrams; usually treated with absorbable sutures.

Fascia

Thin white connective tissue layer; cutting layer; typically closed with absorbable sutures.

Muscle

Muscular layer (wine red); rounded tissue; typically closed with absorbable sutures.

Peritoneum

Serous membrane lining the abdominal cavity; treated with absorbable sutures.

Hand-held retractor

Manual retractors with a shaft and end piece (hook, blade, or rake) to hold back tissue.

Senn retractor

A handheld retractor used for superficial exposure and tissue separation.

Army-Navy retractor

A commonly used handheld retractor for exposing surgical areas.

Parker retractor

A handheld retractor used for organ and tissue exposure.

Skin hooks

Small hooked retractors used to lift and retract delicate skin or tissue.

Weitlaner retractor

Self-retaining retractor with prongs that expand to hold tissue apart.

Jansen retractor

Self-retaining abdominal retractor for exposure.

Gelpi retractor

Self-retaining retractor with pointed blades for wide exposure.

O'Sullivan-O'Connor retractor

Self-retaining abdominal retractor used for exposure.

Thompson retractor

Self-retaining retractor used for exposure during surgery.

Balfour retractor

Self-retaining abdominal retractor with multiple blades for wide exposure.

Suture

Stitches used to hold tissues together; must be strong, non-toxic/hypo