Surgical Technology: Cutting Instruments

Scalpels

Most Common Blades Mn

  • 11-Blade
    • Straight Pointed Blade
    • Used for Precise Incisions
  • 10-Blade
    • Large Rounded Blade
    • Used for Large Skin Incisions
  • 15-Blade
    • Smaller Rounded Blade
    • Used for Finer Skin Incisions
  • 12-Blade
    • Hooked

Most Common Handles

  • 7-Handle
  • 3-Handle
  • 4-Handle

Scalpel Blades

Scalpel Handles

Scissors

Mayo Scissors (Suture Scissors)

  • Heavy Straight Scissors
  • Often Used for Cutting Suture

Curved Mayo Scissors

  • Curved Version of Heavy Mayo Scissors
  • Used for Cutting Heavy Tissue

Metzenbaum Scissors (Metz)

  • Light Scissors with a Rounded Tip
  • Used for Cutting Delicate Tissue or Blunt Dissection

Pott’s Scissors

  • Sharp Pointed Scissors
  • Usually Angled (25, 45, 60 or 90-Degrees) But Can Be Straight
  • Used for Delicate Tissues in Close Space, Often Used in Vascular Surgery

Iris Scissors

  • Small Sharp Scissors with a Fine Pointed Tip
  • Commonly Seen in Suture Removal Kits

Mayo Scissors

Curved Mayo

Metzenbaum

Pott’s

Iris

Mnemonics

Scalpel Blades

  • 11 – Sharp Point Similar to the Tip of “1”
  • 10 – Large Round Similar to “0”
  • 15 – Small Round Similar to the Curve in “5”
  • 12 – Hook Similar to the Curve in “2”