The history of
surgery and surgical procedures goes back to the ancient world. There is
evidence of surgical procedures being undertaken even as far back as 3000 BC.
Surgery has come a long way since then. The understanding of human anatomy, its
nuances, surgical routines, medicines, hygiene standards, and infrastructure
have improved radically. Today we use very advanced technology for surgical
precision and such operations are largely pain and risk-free. In all this,
surgical implements and devices have also evolved considerably. While
specialized surgeries demand highly specialized equipment, the majority of the
instruments used in general surgery can be classified into these heads
Cutting and dissecting instruments - Cutting and dissecting is the preliminary part of a surgical
procedure. The scissors, scalpels, and saws are traditionally used to cut
through the skin tissue and into the organ being operated on.These instruments
are also used to cut away sore or diseases tissue and tumours. These are very
sharp and often require regular replacement.
Grasping or holding instruments - As the name suggests, grasping and holding instruments are used
to hold tissue back or to hold blood vessels that may be in the way of the
surgery site. One of the commonest grasping and holding instrument used in
surgery is a pair of forceps. These are quite often blunted instruments with
jagged edges that can be held with the fingers.
Retractors- Retractors
are surgical instruments that are used to retract or pull back the skin,
tissue, or organ once an incision has been made. This helps expose the surgical
site to the surgeon. Usually a single surgery involves use of several
retractors which may be either self-retaining or can be held by a nurse or an
assisting surgeon.
Haemostatic instruments - Haemostatic instruments are clamps similar devices that help in the
compression of blood vessels to prevent excess blood flow to the surgical site.
Sometimes these occluding instruments are also used to close or shut a blood
vessel. Mosquito forceps and haemostats are some commonly used clamping
instruments.
Tissue unifying instruments–After the surgery is performed it is important to close up the site
carefully and with utmost precision. This helps in quick healing and prevents
infection. Tissue unifying instruments include needles and materials such as
staples and sutures. These come in various specifications and are chosen
according to the site and organ operated upon.
Regular use of
medical devices such as the Littman stethoscope have also evolved
considerably. It only stands to reason that most surgical implements also come
in various materials and specifications. With the introduction of laser surgery
systems there are a number of other surgical devices that have come to be used
these days. It is important to understand and plan the nuances of any surgical
procedure to be aware of the instruments that shall be required during the
operation.
Now that we have
an understanding of the classification of surgical implements, it is also
important to understand that a surgeon is just as good as his/her instruments.
This makes it important to source these medical implements from highly reliable
medical suppliers. Fortunately, these days a number of websites such as the Smart Medical Buyer offer high-quality
medical supplies making it easy to buy medical
devices online. Most medical equipment manufactured by popular
manufacturers conform to very high quality standards set by medical
associations. It is, however, important to check with the doctor performing the
surgery about his/her preferences.
