Thumb Forceps

Thumb forceps, commonly called tweezers, are one of several types of forceps used in surgery. They are mostly used to pick small objects and hold sensitive tissue. Thumb forcepsare used by holding them between the fingers and squeezing them, which then closes the serrated tip. Most forceps that are used in surgery are made of either stainless steel or disposable plastic.

They are often used to pick up objects where using the fingers would not be ideal for the job. This can be because the object is too small for the fingers to hold, the object is in an area where the fingers would not fit, or the object needs more precision during handling.

During surgery, thumb forceps are usually used to move or hold tissue. Since forceps enable doctors to hold tissue without direct contact, they can help prevent infection and minimize tissue damage.

There are two types of thumb forceps used to prevent infection. First are stainless steel forceps, which are made of stainless or high-grade carbon steel. Stainless steel forceps are designed to withstand high temperatures from constant sterilization. Second are disposable forceps. Normally made of plastic to cut costs, disposable forceps are used when the contamination cannot be removed by regular sterilization.

To minimize tissue damage, thumb forceps usually have specialized tips. A serrated or "mouse teeth" tip does less tissue damage because the serration enables the use of less pressure to grasp the tissue. Smooth and cross-hatched tips are used primarily to remove dressings and sutures. By using forceps, the doctor is able to handle dressings and sutures easier while preventing potential contamination from and to the patient.

Unlike locking forceps such as Kelly and haemostatic forceps, thumb forceps belong to the non-locking type. Non-locking types can only be used for holding and picking things because they lack the locking mechanism used to hold the forceps in position. During surgery, several types of forceps are utilized for different purposes. Locking forceps are used to control blood flow by acting as a clamp to close off the veins; they also keep tissue in place, thereby enabling the doctor to free his or her hands.

Non-locking forceps are used to move tissue around and get a hold of hard-to-reach objects, such as when dental forceps are used to remove molars. Thumb forceps have serrations on their grip to prevent slippage. This is another distinguishable characteristic from locking forceps, which are held like scissors and provide more stability.

Surgical Scissors

Surgical scissors are surgical instruments usually used for cutting. They include bandage scissors, dissecting scissors, iris scissors, operating scissors, stitch scissors, tenotomy scissors, metzenbaum scissors, and plastic surgery scissors. Surgical scissors are usually made of very hard stainless steel for ongoing toughness. Some scissors have tungsten carbide reinforcements along their cutting edges. The hardness of this material allows the manufacturers to create sharper edges, which allows for easier and smoother cuts and keeps the scissors sharp for longer.

There are two types of scissors used in surgeries.

• Ring scissors look much like standard utility scissors with two finger loops.
• Spring scissors are small scissors used mostly in eye surgery or microsurgery. The handles end in flat springs connected with a pivot joint. The cutting action is achieved by pressing the handles together. As the pressure is released, the spring action opens the jaws.

Scissors are available in various configurations like

• Blunt/blunt blades
• Blunt/sharp blades
• Sharp/sharp blades

Forceps

Forceps or forcipes are a handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects. Forceps are used when fingers are too large to grasp small objects or when many objects need to be held at one time while the hands are used to perform a task. The term 'forceps' is used almost exclusively within the medical field. Outside medicine, people usually refer to forceps as tweezers, tongs, pliers, clips or clamps.

'Forceps' can be used as both the singular and plural form of the word. (Example: "I need a forceps.") Also, it is not referred to as a "pair" as one refers to a "pair of scissors". Etymologically, the word derives from the Latin forca, meaning a snare or trap.

Mechanically, forceps employ the principle of the lever to grasp and apply pressure.

Surgical forceps are commonly made of high-grade carbon steel, which ensures they can withstand repeated sterilization in high-temperature autoclaves. Lower quality steel is used in forceps made for other uses. Some forceps, intended to be used once and then discarded, are made of plastic.

There are two basic types of forceps: non-locking (often called 'thumb forceps' or 'pick-ups') and locking, though these two types come in dozens of specialized forms for various uses. Non-locking forceps also come in two basic forms, hinged at one end, away from the grasping end (colloquially such forceps are called tweezers, though a medical professional would not likely refer to them as such) and hinged in the middle, rather like scissors (though, unlike scissors, forceps are tipped with flat, grasping surfaces rather than interposing blades). Locking forceps are almost always hinged in the middle, though some forms place the hinge very close to the grasping end. Locking forceps use various means to lock the grasping surfaces in a closed position to facilitate manipulation or to independently clamp, grasp or hold an object.