Surgical Tech Instruments

128 Instruments: General Surgery instruments listed by category and function. Scissors # 1–18 • Needle Holders # 19–27 • Forceps # 28–70 • Retractors # 71–115 • Other # 116–128

Roger Angular Wire scissors

Nickname: Wire cutters or scissors

Use: cut small gauge wire. Keep on patient for post operative oral emergencies.

Use In Procedures: Sternotomy in thoracic, K wires in orthopedics, arch bars in oral/max and needle localization in general surgery.

Features: Notch in instrument jaw for wire

Knowles Bandage Scissors

Nickname: Bandage Scissors

Use: Removes dressing

Features: Rounded guard at working end to prevent injury to skin

Lister Bandage Scissors

Nickname: Big Bandage Scissors

Use: Cut thick Dressing

Features: larger size for general purposes and with guard end

Universal Shears

Nickname: Utility scissors

Use: Cuts thick dressing, light wire, or orthopedic supplies

Features: Found in the OR room or in the non-sterile area

OR Scissors - Delicate , sharp-side and blunt curved

Nickname: Scissors

Use: Cuts thin tissue and dressings

Features: Dual function of blades

Mayo Scissors, Straight

Nickname: Mayo

Use: Cut suture or heavy tissue

Features: Tapered, blunt jaw, and available in various sizes

Mayo Scissors, Curved

Nickname: Curved Mayo

Use: Cuts heavy tissue, such as Fascia

Features: Most commonly used OR scissors and available in various sizes

Lahey Scissors, Straight

Nickname: Suture scissors

Use: Cuts or dissects delicate tissue

Features: Tapered blunt working end, similar to Metz but shorter and finer

Lahey Scissors, curved

Nickname: Curved Lahey

Use: Cuts delicate tissue

Features: Finely curved jaws

Metzenbaum Scissors, Straight

Nickname: Straight Metz, suture scissors

Use: Cuts and dissects delicate tissue or suture

Features: Used for tissue in deeper surgical planes and available in various sizes

Metzenbaum Scissors, Curved

Nickname: Curved Metz, Metz, Dissecting Metz

Use: Cuts and dissects delicate tissue

Features: Finely tapered, blunt jaws

Iris Scissors, Straight

Nickname: Iris

Use: Cuts delicate tissue, fine gauge suture, and thin steri-strips

Features: Straight, sharp jaws with dual points

Iris Scissors, Curved

Nickname: Iris

Use: Cuts delicate tissue, fine gauge suture, and thin steri- strips

Features: Straight, sharp jaws with dual points

Knapp Iris Scissors

Nickname: Iris

Use: Cuts delicate tissue, supplies, and suture

Features: Tapered jaw, dual function - sharp and dull tips - can be used in carpel tunnel release or Plastics

Stevens Tenotomy Scissors, Straight

Nickname: Tenotomy

Use: Cuts delicate tissue and supplies, used in general, plastics

Features: Tapered jaws, blunt tips

Steven Tenotomy Scissors, Curved

Nickname: Tenotomy

Use: Cuts and dissects delicate tissue, used in general, plastics, and Opthalmology

Features: Tapered jaws, blunt tips

Joseph Scissors, Straight

Nickname: Joseph

Use: Cut delicate tissue, and supplies

Features: Tapered jaw, and sharp and pointed tips

Joseph Scissors, Curved

Nickname: Long Iris, Metz, Curved Joseph

Use: Cuts delicate tissue, precisely

Features: Tapered jaws, sharp tips

Brown Plastics Needle Holder (NH)

Nickname: Needle Holder

Use: Holds small suture needles and works in tight places

Features: Tapered, short, and heavy jaws with cross serrations

Webster NH

Nickname: Needle Holder

Use: Holds small needles

Features: Tapered, smooth, shorts and lights jaws, available with cross serrations

Crile Wood NH

Nickname: Needle Holder

Use: Holds standard size needles, passes through most tissue

Features: Tapered, light, serrated jaws

Mayo Heagar NH

Nickname: Large NH

Use: Holds large needles for thick, dense tissue

Features: Heavy, tapered, cross serrated with fenestrated window - jaws

Ryder NH

Nickname: Vascular NH

Use: Holds fine and CV needles, used for grafts

Features: Short, wide - to - narrow with cross serrations

Sarot NH

Nickname: Sarot NH

Use: Holds fine, Cv suture needles

Features: Fine, tapered jaws with cross serrations, shank with minior, medial bend

Barry Sternal NH

Nickname: Sternal NH

Use: Holds thoracic procedures, Passes heavy stainless steel wires into sternum

Features: Very heavy, oblong jaws with cross serrations

Halsey NH

Nickname: NH

Use: Holds small to medium needles, for most tissue

Features: Short, tapered with cross serrated jaws

Baumgartner NH

Nickname: NH

Use: Grasps small to medium suture needles

Features: Short, tapered with cross serrated medium jaws

Adson Dressing Forceps

Nickname: Adson Pick Up

Use: Grasps steri strips or skin during skin closure

Features: Wide serrated handle, thin jaws with serrated tips

Thumb Forceps

Nickname: Smooth pickups, dressing forceps

Use: Grasps delicate tissue

Features: Fluted handle, tapered, serrated jaws

Crushing Forceps

Nickname: Cushings, pickups

Use: Grasps tissue or sponge in deeper planes

Features: Fluted handle, Thins serrations, tapered jaws, cross pin for stability

Janson Bayonet Forceps

Nickname: Bayonet pick ups

Use: Grasps medium tissue, neuro patty sponges, and gel foam squares

Features: Serrated handle, fine, tapered serrated tips, bayonet shape improves visualization

Lucae Bayonet Forceps

Nickname: Short Bayonets

Use: Grasps thin tissue, sponges, neuro patties, and used in ENT procedures

Features: Serrated handle, finely tapered serrated tips, bayonet shape improves visualization

Geralds Forceps

Nickname: Gerald dressing forceps

Use: Grasps delicate tissue, vascular procedures

Features: Serrated handle, fine, tapered cross serrated jaws, teeth at tips, cross pin

Adson Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Adson’s with teeth or toothed Adsons

Use: St passes with skin suture in general and plastic procedures

Features: Side serrated handle, thin jaw with 1X2 teeth - one on superior and two on inferior

Brown - Adosn Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Adson Brown’s

Use: Grasps delicate tissue

Features: Wide serrated handle, jaws in two rows with 7×7 fine teeth, used in Plastics and Podiatry

Debakey Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Debakeys

Use: Grasps most tissue, very frequently used in OR, General, CT, and Vascular procedures

Features: Fluted handle, 1×2 rows of micro teeth on fine tapered, blunt tip jaws

Russian Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Russians

Use: Grasps most tissue, atraumatic, powerful grip for GYN and peritoneum

Features: Fluted handle, cupped, fanlike serrations at tips

Potts-Smith Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Potts pick up

Use: Grasps small, deep tissue, ENT

Features: Serrated handle, fine tapered jaws, 1×2 fine teeth, and cross pin.

Gerald Tissue Forceps, Straight

Nickname: Gerald’s

Use: Grasps deep, delicate tissue, cross - pin maintains alignment during use

Features: Serrated handles, thin, pointed ends with 1×2 teeth curved jaw option

Selman Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Thin Russians

Use: Provides firm grasp for lighter tissue

Features: Serrated handles, atraumatic, cupped fanlike serrations at teeth

Semkin Thumb Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Pick ups, fine thumb, small Pott’s, Semkins

Use: Grasps delicate, thin tissue

Features: Serrated handles, cross pin, thin, pointed ends with 1×2 fine teeth

Thumb Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Mouse tooth, toothed pickups, thumb pickups, pickups with teeth

Use: Grasps and approximates tissue for skin suturing

Features: Serrated handle with 1×2 small teeth

Tuttle Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Ring forceps, tuttle’s, singley’s, tuttle thoracic

Use: Atraumatic; grasps lung tissue

Features: Fenestrated jaws and serrations, cross pin variation modeled

Singley Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Singley’s, ring pickups

Use: Grasps tissue

Features: Serrated handle, heavy, serrated, fenestrated tip, cross pin variation

Bonney Forceps

Nickname: Bonney’s extra heavy

Use: Grasps heavy tissue, muscle, cartilage, used in orthopedics and GYN

Features: Pyramid handle, serrated tip, 1×2 or 2×3 rat teeth

Ferris-Smith Forceps

Nickname: Wide Bonney’s

Use: Grasps heavy tissue, muscle, cartilage, used in orthopedics and GYN

Features: Extra wide, oval pyramid handle, tapered tip with cross serrations, 1×2 rat teeth

Brown Forceps

Nickname: Brown’s

Use: Grasps and approximates delicate, medium tissue

Features: Serrated handle, tapered tip with 2 rows 9×9 mini teeth

Cushing Bayonet Forceps

Nickname: Cushing Bayonet

Use: grasps light medium tissue, neuro, and ENT

Features: Serrated handle, downward slope with fine 1×2 mini teeth, cross pin and allows visualization of surgical site

Lucae Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Bayonet with teeth, Lucae

Use: Grasps light to medium tissue, CV and ENT

Features: Serrated handle, upward slope, fine 1×2 mouse teeth. variation with cross pin.

Allis Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Allis

Use: Grasps tissue and ratchet hold, used in General and Specialties

Features: Wide, flat jaw with 4×5 teeth, variations available

Adair Allis Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Wide Allis

Use: Grasps tougher tissue

Features: Wide, flat jaw with 9×10 mini teeth

Babcock Tissue Forceps

Nickname: Babcock

Use: Grasps most General Surgery tissue, bowel and GYN tubes

Features: Wide, flat jaw, fenestrated, serrations or groves along tip, atraumatic

Halstead Mosquito Hemostat, Straight

Nickname: straight mosquito

Use: Grasps a lap sponge, or light tissue and vessels

Features: Serrated tip, in various lengths

Halstead Mosquito Hemostat, Curved

Nickname: Curved mosquito or curved hemostat

Use: Grasps light tissue, small vessels, use with the surgical pattern- clamp-clamp-cut-tie in General and PV

Features: Curved tip with serrations, various lengths

Crile Hemostat, Straight

Nickname: Crile, Hemostat

Use: Grasps light to medium tissue, vessels, and suture and found in most instruments sets

Features: Tip with serrations, various lengths

Crile Hemostat, Curved

Nickname: Crile, snap, hemostat

Use: Grasps light to medium tissue, vessels, and suture and found in most instruments sets

Features: Curved tip with serrations. Use with the surgical pattern- clamp-clamp-cut-tie.

Kelly Hemostat, Straight

Nickname: Kelly

Use: Grasps medium tissue, clamps vessels in General and GYN surgery

Features: Tapered jaw with 2/3 serrations, various lengths

Kelly Hemostat, Curved

Nickname: Kelly

Use: Grasps medium tissue, clamps vessels, and used in pattern- clamp-clamp-cut-tie.

Features: Various size, use longer for deeper surgical planes, curved with 2/3 serrations.

Rochester-Pean Hemostat, Straight

Nickname: Pean’s, kelly, clamp

Use: Grasps medium to heavy tissue and vessels

Features: Straight tapered tip with full length serrations

Rochester-Pean Hemostat, Curved

Nickname: Curved Kelly

Use: Grasps tissue, clamp vessels

Features: Curved, tapered tip with full length serrations

Rochester Oschner Hemostat, Straight

Nickname: Straight Kocher

Use: Grasps medium tissue, clamps vessels, found in most sets- General, Ortho, GYN, use in pattern- clamp-clamp-cut-tie.

Features: Tips with full serrations, rat tooth 1×2, variations in lengths

Rochester Oschner Hemostat, Curved

Nickname: Curved Kocher

Use: Grasps medium tissue, clamps vessels, found in most sets- General, Ortho, GYN

Features: Tapered full serrated jaws, rat teeth 1×2

Adson Hemostat, Straight

Nickname: Straight tonsil, Adson

Use: Grasps light to medium tissue, clamps vessels, General and ENT

Features: Tapered, narrow 2/3 serrated jaws

Adson Hemostat, Curved

Nickname: Curved Tonsil

Use: Grasps and clamps deeper planes, punctures skin for a drain

Features: Curved, tapered narrow 2/3 serrated jaws

Dandy Hemostat

Nickname: Dandy

Use: Grasps and clamps tissue, used in Neuro and Orthopedics

Features: Tapered 2/3 serrated jaws, entire clamp curved, sideway orientation

Lahey Dissecting Forceps

Nickname: Right Angles

Use: Grasps, dissects, and passes ligature ties

Features: Not a true right angle, 4×5 longitudinal serrations on 2/3 jaws

Mixter Dissecting Forceps

Nickname: Mixter

Use: Grasps, dissects, and passes tie

Features: Not a true right angle, curved jaws with serrations on ½ jaw also known as Weck pattern

Mixter Dissecting Forceps

Nickname: Mixter

Use: Grasps, dissects and passes ties

Features: Curved, heavier jaw with serrations then entire length of jaws

Meeker Forceps

Nickname: Right angles

Use: Grasps, dissects, and passes

Features: True right angle, curved with fully serrated jaws

Westphal Duct Forceps

Nickname: Right angles

Use: Grasps, dissects, passes, used frequently in an open cholecystectomy

Features: Narrow, curved, 4/5 longitudinal serrations on jaws

Joseph Single Skin Hook

Nickname: Skin Hook

Use: Retracts small areas

Features: Cross serrations on handle, sharp, single curved mini tips

Joseph Double Skin Hook

Nickname: Double skin hook

Use: Retracts in General, Plastics, and hand procedures

Features: Cross serrations on handle, sharp, double curved mini tips

Guthrie Double Skin Hook

Nickname: Guthrie

Use: Provides very light retraction, Plastics, Ophthalmology, General, and Podiatry

Features: Smooth or fluted handle, sharp, tapered double hooks

Isreal Retractor

Nickname: Israel rake

Use: Retracts heavy tissue in mid-range surgical planes, General, and Orthopedics

Features: Smooth Ankh-like handle style to promote comfort while retracting, 4-prong, curved, blunt tips

Murphy Retractor, Sharp

Nickname: Sharp Murphy

Use: retracts in General Surgery

Features: Ankh-like-handle for comfort, 3-prongs, curved, sharp tips.

Murphy Retractor, Blunt

Nickname: Blunt Murphy

Use: Retracts in General Surgery

Features: Ankh-like handle, atraumatic, blunt tips

Volkmann Rake Retractor, Sharp

Nickname: Sharp rake

Use: Retraction

Features: Handle with round, finger ring and 3 prongs

Volkmann Rake Retractor, Blunt

Nickname: Blunt Rake

Use: Retractor

Features: Handle variations, 6-prongs blunt tips

Green Retractor

Nickname: Green

Use: Atraumatic retraction of delicate tissue- ENT, General, thyroid surgery

Features: Stirrup-like open loop tip, looks like the “G” in green

Langenbeck Retractor

Nickname: Langenbeck

Use: Atraumatic retraction, thyroid tissue, hernia, or open appendectomy procedure

Features: Smooth long handle, right-angle toe-in blade end

Lahey Retractor

Nickname: Baby Appendiceal

Use: Atraumatic retraction - ENT, thyroid, hernia, and open appendectomy procedures

Features: Grooved handle, right-angle, toe-in blade tip.

Mayo Abdominal Retractor

Nickname: Abdominal Retractor

Use: Retracts multiple layers of tissue

Features: Hollow handle, curved, rounded winged tip

Sauerbruch Retractor

Nickname: Appendiceal, Sauerbruch

Use: Retracts multiple layers, open appendectomy, breast procedures, and GYN

Features: Blunt blade protects tissue, square, hallow, grooved handle with additional thumb rest, toe in tip, right angle

Dandy Nerve Hook

Nickname: Nerve hook

Use: Retraction of nerves

Features:Long, slender handle, blunt, atraumatic, right-angle tip

Love Nerve Retractor

Nickname: Love retractor

Use: Retraction by cradling the nerve

Features: Flat handle, blunt, flared tip, multiple end variations 45, 90, and 180 degrees

Cushing Vein Retractor

Nickname: Vein Retractor

Use: Retracts blood vessels and nerve plexuses

Features: Open handle, blunt, flared angled tip

Mayo-Collins Retractor

Nickname: Double ended Mayo

Use: Retraction, usually found in pairs, provides choice of 4 blade lengths

Features: Smooth handle, double ended slotted, blunt toe in right angle tips, one end is longer than other

US Army Retractor

Nickname: Army Navy or Navy Army

Use: Retraction, set of two and provides four-blade lengths

Features: Fenestrated handle, double ended, right-angle toe-in, blunt rounded ends

Parker Retractor

Nickname: Parker

Use: retraction, set of two and provided four-blade lengths

Features: Smooth handle, handle and blades same width, angled double ends cradle tissue.

Roux Double Ended Retractor, Small

Nickname: Roux

Use: Retraction, with two blade lengths

Features: Flat shank shaft, angled bends at tips, rounded and wide

Goelet Retractor

Nickname: Goelet

Use: Retraction, used as a single retractor

Features: Shaft curves inward, wide angled blade tips

Senn Retractor, Sharp

Nickname: Senn

Use: Retracts small tissue, hernia repair, great biopsy procedures

Features: Double ended and reverse direction, 3-prong sharp rake and toe-in right angle blade.

Senn Retractor, Blunt

Nickname: Blunt sense, rake side

Use: Retracts small tissue

Features: Double reversed ends, 3 prongs dull rake and toe in right angle blade

Ragnell Retractor

Nickname: Ragnell, French

Use: Retracts very small tissue

Features: Round cross serrated handle, double reversed ends, one end flat toe in blade and other with cradled tip

Deaver Retractor

Nickname: Deaver, shown holding the working end as if passing to the surgeon

Use: Retracts deeper surgical planes, holds moistened lap sponges against tissue

Features: Flat, thin handle with end crafted to cradle the hand, variations available-hollow, lamb, and grip

Deaver Retractor

Nickname: Deaver

Use: Retracts deep tissue, shown holding the working end as if to the surgeon

Features: Lamb handle with palm rest curved in same direction as the working end-blade. Various lengths, width, and handles.

Debakey-Cooley-Harrington Retractor

Nickname: Harrington, DCH, transplant dealer

Use: Retracts deep tissue

Features: Thin, flat shank, lamb handle, heart-shaped serrated tip without protective piping

Debakey- Cooley Retractor

Nickname: XL Deaver

Use: Retraction in deep planes, intestines, bowel and transplants

Features: Wide, thin, flat blunt blade, lamb or hollow grip

Harrington Retractor

Nickname: Sweetheart

Use: Retraction of deeper tissue. Shown holding working end and as if passing to the surgeon.

Features: Smooth heart-shaped working end with protective raised piping

Weinberg Vagotomy Retractor

Nickname: Joe’s Hoe, Vagotomy Retractor

Use: Retracts deep intestinal tissue

Features: Very heavy, smooth, oblong handle with reversed right angle double-ended toe in, blunt tips. Weights approximately 2 pounds or 8 times more than most retractors