Instruments Flash Cards - Descriptions

Metzenbaum Scissors

Delicate surgical dissection, blades are thin and delicate and only about ¼ of the instrument's overall length (curved or straight)

Mayo Scissors

Cutting large muscle, cartilage, or non-delicate tissues (straight or curved)

Operating Scissors

Used when cutting large muscle masses, cartilage, or any other nondelicate tissue. The blades are thick and approximately one-third the instrument’s length. The blades can be straight or curved.

Suture Removal Scissors

have one blade in the shape of a hook that cradles the suture to be cut. This instrument is designed to remove external sutures from the skin.

Halstead Mosquito Forceps

The instrument is generally used to clamp small vessels (e.g., “skin bleeders”)

Kelly Hemostatic Forceps

can be used for medium-sized vessels or small tissue masses

Crile Hemostatic Forceps

Like Kelly forceps but the serrations extend the full length of the jaws

Ferguson Angiotribe

Not a true hemostat, extremely strong and traumatic, one raised jaw and one lower jaw

Rochester-Carmalt Hemostatic Forceps

Horizontal and vertical serrations on the tip of the jaw (checkboard appearance), larger, crush and clamp large vessels (used a lot in spays)

Rochester-Pean Hemostatic Forceps

Large, serrations that are horizontal the entire length of the jaw, large blood vessels and tissues

Olsen-Hegar Needle Holder

scissors built into the jaws. A time-saving device that allows the suture to be cut without having to reach for another instrument.

Mayo-Hegar Needle Holder

commonly used instrument available in a variety of lengths, depending on the surgical procedure and the surgeon’s preference

Scalpel Handle

can be held with a pencil grip, fingertip grip, or palmed grip. The pencil grip, with the index finger on the noncutting edge of the blade, stabilizing the scalpel, allows for a finer, more precise cut due to the angle the blade presents to the skin

Adson Dressing Thumb Tissue Forceps

has no teeth but does have flat, atraumatic serrations. Generally used as an aid in placing or removing dressings on wounds.

Adson-Brown Thumb Tissue Forceps

has two parallel rows of nine shallow teeth on both tips. A common general surgery tissue forceps, can be found in most general instrument packs.

Adson 1×2 (Rat tooth) Thumb Tissue Forceps

has one tooth on one tip and two teeth on the other. The teeth interdigitate to grasp tissue firmly. It can be fairly traumatic if used on delicate tissue or too aggressively.

Allis Tissue Forceps

grasps tissues in a traumatic way, is ring-handled, generally used for tough tissue

US Army Retractor

no teeth, less trauma other than pressure damage

Senn Retractor

A double-ended handheld retractor. One end is a narrow, blunt blade, and the other end is a toothed, traumatic end. The teeth can be sharp or blunt, which may affect where it is used.

Balfour Abdominal Retractor

one of the few self-retaining retractors commonly used in soft tissue surgery. Available in adult and pediatric sizes, it is extremely useful for abdominal procedures. While keeping the abdominal walls in lateral retraction, it also has a third blade for cranial retraction as well. This widespread retraction provides excellent visualization of the abdominal cavity for the surgeon.

Backhaus Towel Clamp

The most common style of towel clamp, this clamp has penetrating tips and is available in 3½- or 5½-inch sizes

Snook Spay Hook

Used to find and exteriorize the uterine horns when performing an ovariohysterectomy on dogs and cats.

Staple Remover

has two “teeth” on one side and one tooth on the other. To use it properly, the two teeth are placed between the staple and the patient; the single tooth then presses into the top of the staple. This arrangement bends the staple, removing the edges from the skin.

Doyen Intestinal Clamps

allow handling of the delicate tissue without traumatization or compromise of blood flow D

Babcock Intestinal Forceps

allow handling of the delicate tissue without traumatization or compromise of blood flow.

Lacrimal Cannulas

used to flush lacrimal ducts. One end of the cannula is adapted to accept a syringe to allow for infusion of solution. The other end is blunt or bulb shaped to permit easy passage into the lacrimal duct.