Surgical Instruments usage: Scissors

Surgical scissors are used for cutting, dissecting tissues, to cut bandages and sutures. Each surgical procedure has a special pair of scissors that is used to perform the intended task. Surgical scissors differs in value and durability from the regular scissors. They come in varieties depending on their use such as bandage scissors, dissecting scissors, iris scissors, operating scissors, stitch scissors, tenotomy scissors and plastic surgery scissors.

Material generally used for scissors is high carbon stainless steel because recommended hardness requirement is above 50HRC.

We go through the function and use of some of the scissors generally used in the medical field:

Operating Scissors:

These are used for general purposes like in surgical kits, for cutting sutures, gauze and during surgical operations.

Available in different blades style combination like sharp/sharp, sharp / blunt, blunt/blunt, straight, curved, with or without Tungsten Carbide tips etc.

TENOTOMY SCISSORS:

These scissors are used in delicate surgery where extreme control is required. Due to their shape the movement of the blade during cutting action is very smooth on  areas like lips, cheeks tissues etc.

 In some types one blade is serrated to avoid slippage of fine tissues. Also available with Tungsten carbide tips.

Blades shape are available in combination of blunt and sharp version.

STITCH SCISSORS:

These are used to cut the sutures, specially hooked shape lower blade helps in doing the task.

Sometimes serrations are produced to avoid slippage.

IRIS SCISSORS:

These scissors are especially designed with very fine sharp blades for performing different functions during eye surgery operations.

These are made of high carbon stainless steel.

Some of the industrial use of this type of scissors made of carbon steel includes fine cutting in embroidery.

DISSECTING SCISSORS:

Different types of dissecting scissors are available for use according to typical applications.

Metzenbaum scissors, Iris scissors, tenotomy scissors ,mayo scissors, Westcott scissors, probe scissors all are different types of dissecting scissors.

BANDAGE SCISSORS:

These are especially designed scissors with one blunt blade and one probe blade for the smooth movement without damaging the skin during bandage cutting.

The have serrations on lower blade to avoid slippage.