Ch. 39 Surgical Equipment and Supplies

Bandage scissors

a blunt probe tip that can be inserted under bandages.

Metzenbaum (Metz) scissors

used for cutting and dissecting tissue.

Mayo scissors

used for cutting and dissecting fascia and muscle.

Littauer stitch or suture scissors

used to remove sutures. These scissors have a beak or hook that can slide under sutures.

Grasping and clamping instruments

These instruments usually have a sharp tooth or teeth. In surgical procedures, they are used to retract, hold, and manipulate tissue.

Hemostat forceps

have jaws that are fully or partially serrated without teeth and are useful for clamping small vessels or holding tissue.

Splinter forceps

have a fine tip for removing foreign objects.

Adson forceps

help to grasp tissue during the suturing process.

Plain thumb (dressing) forceps

used to remove or insert objects in deep cavities.

Allis tissue forceps

used for grasping the tissue surrounding a wound.

Foerster sponge forceps

can be used to hold gauze squares while sponging the surgical site.

Bayonet forceps

can be used to remove objects from the ear and nose.

Towel forceps

used to hold the drapes in place.

Retractors

These instruments are used for holding tissue away from the wound. In the medical office, handheld skin hooks and Senn retractors are commonly used.

Probes

help to search for foreign matter that gets embedded deep in the dermal tissue.

Dilators

used to stretch or open a cavity during examination.

Sanitizing instruments

Sanitization is the process of removing organic material from an object. During this procedure, the MA must wear PPE, use proper cleaning devices, and handle the instruments carefully.

Disinfection

The process of destroying pathogenic microorganisms is called disinfection. Disinfection is done by applying liquid chemical agents but is not effective in killing bacterial spores.

Sterilization

destroys microorganisms, including bacterial spores.

Drapes

• Disposable surgical drapes of various materials and sizes are used in surgical procedures.

• Fenestrated drapes have an opening that exposes only the operative site and that creates a sterile field.

Sutures

• An ideal suture must have good strength for a secure knot, must be easy to handle, easy to sterilize, and not cause localized reaction.

• Sutures are classified as absorbable and non-absorbable.

Needles

• Selection of surgical needles depends on the area it is being used for.

• Surgical needles are classified according to shape and the pointed edge.

Sterile normal saline

• Small vials used for injections

• Large containers of sterile saline (e.g., 0.9% Sodium Chloride Irrigation USP) used for cleaning, rinsing, and irrigating wounds

Absorbable sutures

• Absorbable sutures are dissolved by enzymes in the body.

• These types of sutures are used when wounds require inner layers of sutures for closing the wound.

Non-absorbable sutures

Non-absorbable sutures do not dissolve and need to be removed.