RETRACTING AND EXPOSING INSTRUMENTS
- Used to HOLD BACK or RETRACT organs or tissue to gain EXPOSURE to operative site
SELF RETAINING – stay open on their own
MANUAL – held by hand
SELF-RETAINING RETRACTORS
Weitlaner – retract shallow incisions and expose Gelpi Retractor – retract shallow incisions
surgical sites on small surgeries (plastic surgery, bone (orthopedic and spinal procedures)
and joint procedures)
Harrington Retractor – hold soft tissues within the Langenbeck retractor – separates the edges of the
abdominal cavity for abdominal surgery incision
Senn Miller Retractor – hold open small tissue or Volkmann Retractor – retract skin during orthopedic
muscle in small surgical sites; for fistulas surgery
Balfour Retractor (Abdominal Self Retaining
Retractor)
- used to hold wound or incision open during surgery
MANUAL RETRACTORS
Richardson Retractor – retract deep abdominal or Goulet – retract shallow or superficial incisions
chest incision; for retracting wider muscles
Deaver Retractor – retract deep abdominal, or chest Army Navy Retractor - to expose shallow or
incision; for distended bowel superficial wounds
Malleable or ribbon retractor – allows modification
in angle or shape for retraction of intestine and
organs; retract deep wounds
GRASPING, HOLDING
Hold tissue, drapes, sponge
Babcock Forceps – Grasp DELICATE TISSUE Sponge or Ovum Forceps – hold sponge or extract
(intestine, fallopian tube, ovary); hold round vascular placenta
structures
Allis Forceps – to grasp tissue; (judd – for intestinal)
(heavy -breast)
Kocher’s or Ochsner – grasp heavy tissue; tearing
tissues to be sent to pathology
Backhaus Towel Clip – for securing towel or drapes Tissue
Forceps with Tooth – for tissue suturing
Thumb Forceps – grasp tough tissue handling Tooth Adson Forceps – for skin suturing
delicate tissue without causing trauma
Adson Forceps without Tooth – handling fine Rankin – for deep seated areas
tissue without causing trauma
Foerster Sponge Stick – grasp sponges Russian Tissue Forceps – grasp tissue
De bakey Forceps – (CARDIO SURGERY – delicate Mayo – Hegar Needle Holders – hold needles when
tissue) suturing
Needle Holder – used to hold a suturing needle Blade Holder No. 4 – provide reliable support for
multiple blades
CLAMPING AND OCCLUDING INSTRUMENTS
To compress blood vessels or hollow organs for hemostats or prevent spillage of context
Round Nose – holding heavy structures Kelly Clamp – for slight bigger vessels
Mosquito Clamp – for small/fine blood vessels Hemoclip Applier with Hemoclips – applies metal
clip onto blood vessels & ducts which will remain
occluded
Right Angle – clamp hard to reach vessels; place
behind/around vessels
CUTTING, INCISING, OR DISSECTING INSTRUMENTS
(sharp, to cut body tissue or surgical supplies)
Straight mayo scissor (Suture Scissors)– for Curved mayo scissor – for heavy tissues (fascia,
cutting sutures muscle, uterus, breast); allows deeper penetration and
cutting thick tissues
Metzenbaum Scissor – for cutting/dissecting Metzenbaum Scissor – for cutting/dissecting
delicate tissue delicate tissue
SUCTIONING AND ASPIRATING INSTRUMENTS
used for removing obstructions
Yankauer Suction Tip – used to suction Poole Suction Tip – remove large quantities of fluid
oropharyngeal secretions to prevent aspiration; from surgical sites during a procedure
clear operative sites
