Used for holding and manipulating delicate tissues. They have a wide, flat thumb grasp area that is commonly striated in one direction. The jaws are short and the tips are narrow. This product is straight with smooth edges, and a length usually of 4-3/4 inches.
Primarily used for suture removal. These scissors have a small hook shaped tip on one blade that slides under sutures to slightly lift them before cutting the sutures. This hook also holds the suture so it does not slip off the blade of the scissors prior to cutting. Most commonly available in the length of 5-1/2 inches. This product is straight with smooth, both blunt tips.
Ringed locking instrument for clamping tissue. Small curved jaws have zig-zag teeth at the tip. Forceps securely grasp tissue but cause significant tissue crushing and are therefore considered to be “traumatic forceps” and should be used only on tissues that are being removed from the patient (tumors, damaged bowel, etc.) May also be used to secure patient drapes and instrument cords.
Scissors for cutting bandage material. Blades bent for cutting at an angle. Top blade is a regular blunt. Bottom blade has a fat triangular blunt end to facilitate sliding under a bandage without catching the skin.
AKA needle drivers. Ringed locking needle holder with no-slip surface at the active end and built-in scissors on half of working end nearest to the pivot. Designed to hold suture needles and pass them through tissue in order to perform suture ties. Because of ratcheted locking device, needle can be held without falling out or twisting. Increases surgical speed as the surgeon can work without assistance by cutting her own suture material. Be careful as sutures can be inadvertently cut.
A thin metal bar with perforations for the insertion of screws that is used to immobilize fractured bone segments. The plate is affixed with screws to properly align the bone and aid in the healing process. Plates are like internal splints that hold the broken pieces of bone together. They vary in length and may be curved or straight. Plates may be left in place after healing is complete, or they may be removed. Bone plates are named by the number of screw holes and by screw diameter size that fits the plate.
A type of bone marrow needle, often single use and disposable. A long, hollow needle with a tapered cutting edge on one end and a handle with a place to attach a syringe on the other end. It looks like an uppercase letter T. It is used to remove a sample of tissue from the bone marrow. The needle is inserted through the bone into the bone marrow and the syringe is attached to the top to remove the sample or to deliver drugs or fluid into the bone.
A handheld, double-ended retractor used to retract skin, fat or muscle from a surgical incision or working area. This instrument has an angled, blunt end that is “L” shaped and a three prong, curved rake tip at the other end. These prongs are available as sharp or blunt and the handle is straight and flat.
Used for cutting smoothly through bone via a sawing action. Primarily used for amputations
Handheld instrument used to firmly grasp IM (intramedullary) pins into bone in orthopedic procedures. IM pin held through a gear based locking tightening mechanism.
This instrument is used to retrieve the uterine horn from within a small animal. This instrument allows the surgeon to make a small incision, the length needed for a finger to fit into. A smaller incision makes it possible for a minimal tissue exposure to contaminates that are circulating around the surgical suite and a decreased possibility for tissue infection. This instrument is 8 inches long and has a flat, rounded hook at the end. This instrument has a common name of “Snook Hook” and “Spay Hook”.
This instrument is used to cut thicker stainless steel wire, which is commonly used in orthopedic surgical procedures. These wire cutter scissors have short, compact, plain straight-edge blades. These blades hold the wire in place, giving the instrument the ability to increase additional pressure to cut heavier gauge wire without slipping or crimping the wire. The blades may be angled or straight. The length of the instrument itself is usually 4 ¾ inches.
This instrument is used to attach towels and drapes to the skin of the patient while a medical procedure is being performed. These instruments have pointed tips that curve and join together and handles which have a lock in them. They keep the draping in place which ensures that the surgical site is kept sterile at all times.
Ophthalmic instrument, now used for detailed dissection and other precise operations, due to their petite structure and diverse blade configuration. It is also used to cut fine sutures and other non-viable materials. They come in standard scissor design or spring handled design and although their blades are fine and short, their tips look much like those of the operating scissors.
A ratcheted, finger ring instrument, used to drive suture needles through tissues and to make suture knots, but can NOT cut the knot ends. They consist of two short wide jaws with a cross-hatching groove surface, and some may even have a longitudinal groove down the center of their jaws.
This instrument is used to occlude vessels,like small uterine horns or small to medium sized blood vessels.They contain transverse grooves that extend the entire length of the jaws. One of the most commonly used large hemostats in surgical packs for dogs and cats.
This instrument is used to cut wire sutures. Wire Cutting Scissors are non-ratcheted, finger ring scissors used for cutting sutures in preparation for removal. This product has straight shanks with angled, serrated jaws, and blunt tips. A jaw may include a notch to facilitate rapid pick-up and cutting
Tenotomy scissors have a very long handle, with very small and thin blades. The blades can be either straight or curved. It depends on what it’s used for and the preference of the surgeon performing the procedure. They are useful in cutting organs open, or removing diseased or abnormal tissues. The tips of tenotomy scissors blades can be blunt or sharp or a combination.
These are used to grasp skin and other dense tissues, usually for placing suture. This instrument consists of two tines that are connected at one end and are designed to remain open if pressure is not applied by fingers to close the tines. At the tip of these forceps they have large sharp teeth; one tooth fits in between two teeth on the opposite tine, and they have straight shanks that can be serrated or fluted and the lengths vary from 4 ½ to 12 inches. Teeth arrangements include 1x2, 2x3, 3x4, and 4x5 teeth. These forceps can also have extra-fine tips.
This instrument is often used to grasp dense tissue during procedures, such as wound debridement and closures, but they can be traumatic when used to hold tissue. Good for needle handling.
It has broad, spoon shaped tips that are serrated around the edge.
This instrument is used to grasp tissue bundles and large vessels, most commonly in orthopedic or large animal surgery. It has curved or straight jaws; whole length of jaw is horizontally serrated; with 1x2 teeth on the tips.
This instrument is used to hold bone and bone fragments in alignment while orthopedic implants (screws, pins, wires, or plates) are applied. It gives a very firm controllable grip on long bones, facilitating manipulation and reduction of fragments.
Its handle can be ratcheted or plain with plier handle that curves slightly outward at the bottom for additional grip and control. Both inner tips of the jaws are serrated with 2x2 teeth on the distal ends.
This instrument is used to clamp, occlude, or compress large organs such as intestines. Its atraumatic design display long flexible jaws to prevent tissue damage and necrosis, and short shank for better grip/handle. May come straight or curved and length of jaws may range from 5” to as long as 9”. Jaws include longitudinal fine serrations.
This instrument is particularly used to pry periosteum or muscle from the bone surface. They come in a variety of sizes and end shapes such as blade like end and round blunt edge. The most common used in small animal practice is the freer elevator on the right.
T-shaped, reusable, stainless steel tubular instrument with a cylindrical cutting blade similar to a punch biopsy.
Wire placed around bone to approximate fractures and hold bone fragments together until they heal.
Tissue forceps used to pick up, hold and maneuver delicate tissues. They have multiple intermeshing teeth with a broad tip to provide good tissue and suture needle handling for most routine suturing and wound/incisional closures. These forceps have a wide, flat thumb grasp area that is commonly serrated. The jaws are short and the tips are narrow with multiple fine interlocking teeth
Hemostatic forceps designed to clamp small vessels that must be occluded, crushed or held firmly in place. They are generally equal to or less than 5 ½ inches long with transverse grooves on the entire jaw with a fine tip. The forceps have a self-locking ratchet mechanism. The jaws can be curved or straight.
Metzenbaum scissors are fine scissors used for cutting soft tissue and for blunt dissection. They come in curved and straight, with rounded tips and usually have plain blades. They can be anywhere from 5-11” long, but the most common length is 7 inches. These scissors should never be used to cut suture or bandaging material as it can dull or damage the blades.
This instrument attaches to scalpel blades 10, 11, 12 and 15, allowing for a firm grip when making an incision.
This instrument may be used to cut suture material, gauze, paper drape material or tubing. They may have sharp tips, blunt tips or one sharp tip and one blunt tip. They may be straight or curved and the cutting edges may be plain or serrated.
This instrument is used to attach drapes to the patient and features beads near the points to prevent deep tissue penetration.
Instrument used to retract abdominal and thoracic structures during surgery. Made of shapeable metal.
Staples specially made to attach drapes to the skin or bring wound edges closer together. Usually used to provide skin closure for wound healing.
Screws that are placed on the metaphyses of long bones were spongy/porous bone is more abundant.
Screws that are used to provide fixation on compact/hard bone tissue located on the shaft of long bones.
Used to cut, score, scrape, clean and sculpt bone. It is used on pounding on the flared or flat surface end with a mallet. The cutting edge is tapered on one side only.
Used to scrape hard tissue, such as cartilage or bone. Commonly used in arthroscopic surgery to debride joint surfaces or to dislodge loose, bony fragments within joints. Often also used to retrieve cancellous bone from the medullary cavity for use as a bone graft for fracture repair. Has a large, lightweight, hollow handle with longitudinal grooves and a thumb/finger rest for increased control. Designed with a small, cup-like structure at one or both ends of the instrument. The cup usually has a sharp cutting edge and is available in various sizes.
Used to make a precise cut into bone. It is used by pounding on the flat or flared surface end with a mallet. The cutting edge is tapered on both sides.
This device is used to aspirate fluid and or debri from an airway to prevent aspiration or to clear a surgical site . The bulbous head surrounding the opening allows for effective suctioning without damaging the surrounding tissue. This device comes in various sizes and designs. They are usually a hard plastic but can be stainless steel.
This instrument is used to twist surgical wire or stainless steel sutures. They usually consist of cross- serrated working surface that can firmly hold the wire and the ratchet locks the jaws into place so that the wire can be twisted and usually have a square blunt head. The wire twister can also come in combination with a shear cutter. Some wire twisters have holes in the jaws to thread the wire thru for a secure grip
Used to stop bleeding by crushing tissues and associated blood vessels. The working ends (aka jaws) have transverse grooves on the distal-most aspect. Jaws can be straight or curved.
Large, crushing forceps used for clamping across large tissue masses with associated blood vessels. The working ends (aka jaws) have longitudinal grooves with cross-hatch grooves at the tip, which provide more traction. Jaws can be straight or curved.
Veterinary bone cutters are scissor-like metal surgical instruments used for cutting and removing bones. They are usually spring loaded so as to open back up on their own. They have paired, chisel-like tips and come in a variety of sizes for working with different sized bones.
An external fixator (Ex Fix) is a metal surgical device used to stabilize bones without disrupting the fracture site and are used for fracture stabilization, arthrodesis, and angular limb deformity correction in dogs and cats. They come in many different configurations, but they generally consist of pins placed through the skin and into the bone, and external metal bars which the pins are attached to with the use of special clamps.
Babcock forceps are similar in shape to Allis tissue forceps but are less traumatic for tissues at the expense of reduced tissue security. They have a smooth grasping surface, which is less traumatic to tissues. They also have less tip compression than other forceps. These forceps are particularly useful for grasping tube-shaped structures like the intestines due to the rounded grasping surface.
Double-action Rongeurs are used to cut and remove dense bone tissue. The working end is rounded at the tip with sharp and scooped jaws that are available in 3 varieties; straight(standard curved), slightly curved, and angular(also called duckbill). This instrument is double hinged which increases mechanical strength thus reducing hand fatigue and the amount of time it takes to cut through bone. The handles are plier style, spring loaded and come in two lengths, regular and extra-long.
Hohmann retractors are a type of hand held retractor used for orthopedic surgeries. They are typically used for joint surgeries to hold soft tissue out of the way for better visibility of the joint. Their design consists of a single blade at the end of a handle; the blade can be pointed or blunt. The handles come in various lengths(standard; deep) and angles (standard; bent; double bent)
Interlocking nails are used to reduce fractures; they are placed into the medullary cavity of long bones and secured with screws at the proximal and distal ends. These nails vary in thickness, length, and number of preplaced screw holes. The shape of the nail depends on the bone it is intended for. Each nail has a numerical code (shown in bottom right photo) which describes their size and and the size of screw required. From left to right the numbers specify distance between screw holes(mm), diameter of nail(mm), length of nail(mm), number of proximal screw holes, number of distal screw holes, and the size of screw needed.
The Balfour retractor provides increased exposure of the abdominal cavity. Two wire-like blades are used to distract the abdominal incision and the solid spoon-like blade is hooked onto the sternum to distract it cranially. This retractor holds itself in place, leaving the surgeon and assistant’s hands to focus on the surgical tasks. They come in different sizes, and are made of surgical steel that can withstand autoclaving and can be reused. It is important to ensure that no abdominal contents (ex. Bowel, spleen) are entrapped between the body wall and the retractor during placement.
DeBakey thumb forceps have long narrow tips with multiple delicate sets of teeth and are used for vascular surgery. They are used to grasp fine tissue and blood vessels for soft tissue dissection, and are relatively atraumatic. These forceps are available in multiple lengths, straight or angled, and come in a variety of tip dimensions.
Kerrison Rongeurs are very useful in spinal surgery They have sharp cupped tips that are used to cut small pieces of dense tissue (eg: bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue). Kerrison Rongeurs have a “gun shaped appearance”; a plier style, spring loaded handle attaches at roughly a ninety degree angle to the shaft of the working end. The tip has an upward square curve, like a square “C.”
Kirschner wires (aka”K- Wires”) are used to pin smaller bone fragments. They range from 0.035in, 0.045in, 0.062in in diameter and are similar to Steinmann’s Pins, but smaller. They are smooth and stainless steel. There are different types of tips: chiseled, trocar, or threaded trocar tip. Threads can be located in the middle as well; threads can have a positive or negative profile. K-wires are often inserted into the bone using a power drill or Jacobs hand chuck.
Used for specialized ophthalmic surgical procedures, holds a special beaver blade, thin,
lightweight, pencil shaped. A blade is attached to this instrument by turning the round end, this
opens a slit into which the blade is positioned. Turning the end back into its closed position hold
the blade in place.
, serrated Jaw, angled, 6 inches long
smaller than the regular size. Used hold bones providing grip and maintaining pressure where
needed.
A hand-held retractor that requires the aid of a surgical assistant to maintain position and tissue tension.
It is double-ended with a smooth blade to retract skin, fat & muscle.
Military medics will tell you a different story about the retractors’ different sides, depending on in which branch of the military they served. Navy medics may tell you that the Navy is the long side of the retractor because they go deeper, whereas Army medics may say that the Army side is the short one because the Army always gets the short end of the stick.
A self-retaining retractor that maintains a desired position with a locking mechanism which allows the surgeon and the assistant to free up their hands for other tasks. It
increases exposure of the abdominal cavity. Blunt prongs face outward to hold tissue edges open. Used in medium to large-sized sites & primarily spinal muscle retraction.
The instrument is shaped like scissors with downward pointing prongs at the tip, with either sharp or blunt blades. This retractor has ratchet (unidirectional) mechanism through which it is locked in position. This instrument should be handled with care because the sharp tips can damage underlying tissue.
A self- retaining perineal retractor that maintains a desired position with a locking mechanism which allows the surgeon and the assistant to free up their hands for other tasks. The sharp points face out, holding the tissue edges open.
This instrument is used to secure small delicate needles for various microsurgeries of the eyelid or other fragile tissue. Its allows the needle to be guided when suturing while maintaining a controlled grip pressure.
Markings: The jaw can be delicate, fine, or standard and is usually 9mm-14mm long and may either have straight or curved curvature. The tip may be blunt or sharp. The handle is often textured for grip and has clamp locking mechanism on the inside.
This instrument is a type of hemostatic forceps designed to occlude bigger or denser blood vessels.
Markings: The jaw has horizontal serrations along the entire length. Unlike the Rochester-Oschner- Forceps it does not have 1x2 teeth at the tip. They come in various different sizes and may be either straight or curved
An atraumatic tool used on vascular tissue. The long ribs on the tool aid in gripping while the micro serrations along the tooth, located in the center, aid in maintaining tissue integrity.
An instrument that can be used in orthopedic surgery for drilling, shaping, and cutting the bone. This instrument has various sizes and shapes of burs and two bur guards of different lengths.
A flat handle that is longer than the Bard-Parker No. 3 scalpel handle and has a rounded end and an attachment end on which the scalpel blade would be secured. This instrument is mainly used for surgery on large animals and it is used to hold #20 and #22 scalpels.