From Left to Right (names may be different at each facility)
– Plastic Snap (Mosquito)
– Snap (Hemostat, Bain, Crile)
– Kelly
– Tonsil (Tonsil Snap, T-Kelly, Schnidt)
– Mixter (Right Angle)
All of these instruments serve the same purpose…
Knowing which one to use depends on size of incision, depth of incision, & surgeon preference
Plastic Snaps used in plastics, scrotal urology
cases, podiatry
Regular Snaps used superficially in general surgery (open inguinal hernia) vascular
Kelly used mostly to clamp off mesenteric vessels
in bowel resections
Tonsil Snap used in orthopedics, general
Right Angle used in general open belly cases
These instruments spread the tissue apart as to aid in dissecting it. These instruments are used in conjunction with a cautery, metzenbaum, & forceps.
If there is a vessel, the Dr. will dissect around it using one of these instruments then:
1. Clip the vessel
2. Pass ties to tie off the vessel
3. Use (2) of these instruments to clamp the vessel on either side, then transect the vessel & tie both ends
4. Clamp the vessel & cauterize it
From Left to Right
- Allis Clamp has a fan shaped tip with multiple teeth. It is similar to the Kocher as it is used to grasp onto tuff tissue (where I work GYNs like to use it to grasp the fascia when closing laparoscopic incisions). Another common use for Allis clamps is grasping breast tissue during lumpectomies or lymph nodes during a lymph node biopsies.
- Babcock Clamp has a tip that can grasp onto tissue without causing occlusion. Used in general surgery to grasp bowel, in urology to grasp ureter, in GYN to grasp fallopian tubes.
- Kocher Clamp (Oschner). It has a tooth on the tip to hold the tissue securely. Used mainly in Orthopedics to hold joint capsule, tendons, ligament tissue during dissection. Also used in general surgery on fascia.
From Left to Right
- Straight Mayo Scissors (suture scissors) used to cut sutures. Blades are thick & heavy
- Curved Mayo Scissors used to dissect (cut) tuff tissue like fascia, tendons, ligaments, & scar tissue. Also can be used on bowel cases for cutting along TA Stapler or making small holes in bowel to allow the GIA Stapler to fit inside for anastomosis
- Metzenbaum Scissors (regular length) (metz) used to dissect (cut) delicate tissue. This is the main dissecting scissors that Dr.s will use. They come in different lengths depending on size & depth of the incision
- Metzenbaum Scissors (short length) (Metz) same as above
From Left to Right
- Single Tooth Adson Forceps used mainly superficially to grasp the skin. May be used during initial incision, to hold tension on skin while deepening the incision. The adson is used for skin closure as well.
- Single Tooth Forceps (Rat Tooth) because of the large tooth this forceps is used on tuff tissue that won’t be damaged when grasped by it. In abdominal cases single tooth forceps are used to grasp fascia when closing the abdomen or larger than 8mm laparoscopic incisions. Used in orthopecics as the normal forceps for most dissecting.
- DeBakey Forceps (short length) most common forceps used in surgery. The tips have small ridges to grasp tissue & hold it securely, yet not damage even very delicate tissue.
- DeBakey Forceps (long length) same as the above description. The length of DeBakey used is determined by depth of incision & surgeon preference.
