Surgical instruments have prehistoric roots in Indian, Chinese, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Roman civilizations. Today, hundreds of surgical instruments are used for specific functions or are designed to serve a common task.
The aim of this content is to introduce basic surgical instruments that are used for common surgical procedures.
- Scalpel
- Scissors
- Sutures
- Needles
- Needle Holders
- Forceps
- Retractors
A scalpel is used for the division of tissue and consists of a blade and handle. Although some scalpels are made of one solid piece of steel that includes both the handle and blade, the majority of scalpels have a separate handle and a removable blade. Blades are available in a variety of shapes, each designed for a specific purpose. The most common blades have a straight back and an oval-shaped sharp cutting front.
The most commonly used blade sizes are #10, #20, and #22 (Figure 1.2). Figure 1.3 demonstrates other designs of scalpel blades which include a bayonet tip blade #11(a), a bistoury blade #12(b), and a small blade #15(c). Handle #4 fits into larger blades (#’s 20, 21, 22, 25) (Figure 1.2) and handles #3, 7, and 9 fit into smaller blades (#’s 10, 11, 12, 15) (Figure 1.3).
