Surgical Instruments

Year 1 - Normal Animals

using a towel clamp

warn anaesthetist beforehand then release the ratchet and attach a clamp at each corner of the drape to the patient, ensuring a minimal amount of skin is incorporated

function of needle holders

to stabilise the needle while passing suture material through tissues and attaching and removing scalpel blades from scalpel handles

which towel clamp model is used in the VTS?

Backhaus

How to hold a needle holder

thumb and ring finger through handles so index and middle finger can stabilise the instrument

3 needle holder models

Mayo Hegar, Olsen Hegar, Gillies

features of Mayo Hegar needle holders

straight, ratchet, no cutting edge

features of Olsen Hegar needle holders

cutting blade behind tips, ratchet

features of Gillies needle holders

cutting edge behind tips, no ratchet, asymmetrical handles

scissor models

Mayo and Metzenbaum

features of Mayo scissors

chunky tip and short shank which allows them to cut tough/fibrous tissue and suture material

features of Metzenbaum scissors

slim tip and long shank so they are used for delicate dissection or cutting soft tissue

how to attach a scalpel blade

1. grip blade in centre just above grip hole using needle holders

2. ensure the oblique edge of the blade is the same orientation as the oblique edge on the handle

3. slide the blade onto the groove until it snaps into place

types of forceps

dressing, tissue, artery

function of dressing forceps

to hold gauze/cotton when dressing wounds, to remove necrotic tissue or foreign bodies from wounds, to handle suture material

features of Adson dressing forceps

wide grip, fine serrated tips

function of tissue forceps

to hold tissue but never hollow organs during surgical procedures

tissue forcep models

adson, treves, allis

features of Adson tissue forceps

wide thumb grip, rat tooth tip

features of Treves tissue forceps

narrower grip, rat tooth tip

features of Allis tissue forceps

ratchet, interlocking teeth

function of artery forceps

to control bleeding from vessels and tissues by occluding blood flow

artery forcep models

Halstead mosquito, Spencer wells, Rochester pean

features of Halstead mosquito artery forceps

serrated tips, straight and curved versions, ratchet

features of Spencer wells artery forceps

short jaw, serrations

features of Rochester Pean artery forceps

serrations, wide jaw, straight or curved, used to clamp larger vessels

function of spay hook

to help locate and exteriorise the uterine horns during spay surgery