Forceps (pl.: forceps [1] [2] or considered a plural noun without a singular, often a pair of forceps; [3] [4] the Latin plural forcipes is no longer recorded in most dictionaries) [1] [2] [3] [4] 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 in the fields of biology and medicine.[ citation needed ] Outside biology and medicine, people usually refer to forceps as tweezers, tongs, pliers, clips or clamps.
Mechanically, forceps employ the principle of the lever to grasp and apply pressure.
Depending on their function, basic surgical forceps can be categorized into the following groups:
Surgical forceps are commonly made of high-grade carbon steel, which ensures they can withstand repeated sterilization in high-temperature autoclaves. Some are made of other high-quality stainless steel, chromium and vanadium alloys to ensure durability of edges and freedom from rust. Lower-quality steel is used in forceps made for other uses. Some disposable forceps are made of plastic. The invention of surgical forceps is attributed to Stephen Hales. [5]
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.[ citation needed ] Non-locking forceps also come in two basic forms: hinged at one end, away from the grasping end (colloquially such forceps are called tweezers) and hinged in the middle, rather like scissors. 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.
Thumb forceps, known simply as forceps in surgical specialties, are commonly held in a pen grip between the thumb and index finger (sometimes also the middle finger), with the top end resting on the first dorsal interosseous muscle at the webspace between the thumb and index finger. Spring tension at the top end holds the grasping ends apart until pressure is applied. This provides an extended pinch and allows the user to easily grasp, manipulate and quickly release small objects or delicate tissue with readily variable pressure. Thumb forceps are used to hold tissue still when applying sutures, to gently move tissues out of the way during exploratory surgery and to access confined cavities that are hard to reach with hands and fingers.
Thumb forceps can have smooth tips, cross-hatched tips or serrated tips (often called "mouse's teeth"). Common arrangements of teeth are 1×2 (two teeth on one side meshing with a single tooth on the other), 7×7 and 9×9. Serrated forceps are used on tissue; counter-intuitively, teeth will damage tissue less than a smooth surface because one can grasp with less overall pressure. Smooth or cross-hatched forceps are used to move dressings, remove sutures and similar tasks.
Locking forceps, sometimes called clamps, are used to grasp and firmly hold objects or body tissues, or to apply external compression onto tubular structures such as blood vessels or intestines. When they are specifically used to occlude an artery to forestall bleeding, they are called hemostats. Another form of locking forceps is the needle holder, used to guide a suturing needle through tissue. Many locking forceps use finger rings/loops to facilitate handling (see illustration, below, of Kelly forceps). The finger loops are usually grasped by the thumb and middle or (more often) ring finger, while the index finger is placed on the pivot to help stabilize and guide the instrument.
The most common locking mechanism is a handle ratchet, which consists of an asymmetrically serrated short protrusion near the finger loop of one of the handles, and a corresponding hook on the other. As the forceps are closed, the opposing teeth engage and interlock, keeping the handles adducted and the jaw surfaces clamped constantly. To unlock, a simple shearing push by the fingers is all that is needed to disengage the teeth and allow the grasping ends to move apart.
Kelly forceps are a type of hemostat usually made of stainless steel. They resemble a pair of scissors with the blade replaced by a blunted grip. They also feature a locking mechanism to allow them to act as clamps. Kelly forceps may be floor-grade (regular use) and as such not used for surgery. They may also be sterilized and used in operations, in both human and veterinary medicine. They may be either curved or straight. In surgery, they may be used for occluding blood vessels, manipulating tissues, or for assorted other purposes. They are named for Howard Atwood Kelly, M.D., first professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The "mosquito" variant of the tool is more delicate and has smaller, finer tips. Other varieties with similar, if more specialized, uses are Allis clamps, Babcocks, Kochers, Carmalts, and tonsils; all but the last bear the names of the surgeons who designed them.
Other types of forceps include:
A scalpel, lancet, or bistoury is a small and extremely sharp bladed instrument used for surgery, anatomical dissection, podiatry and various handicrafts. A lancet is a double-edged scalpel.
A hemostat is a tool used to control bleeding during surgery. Similar in design to both pliers and scissors, it is used to clamp exposed blood vessels shut.
Tweezers are small hand tools used for grasping objects too small to be easily handled with the human fingers. Tweezers are thumb-driven forceps most likely derived from tongs used to grab or hold hot objects since the dawn of recorded history. In a scientific or medical context, they are normally referred to as just "forceps", a name that is used together with other grasping surgical instruments that resemble pliers, pincers and scissors-like clamps.
A surgical instrument is a medical device for performing specific actions or carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of surgical instruments and tools have been invented. Some surgical instruments are designed for general use in all sorts of surgeries, while others are designed for only certain specialties or specific procedures.
A Pennington clamp, also known as a Duval clamp, is a surgical clamp with a triangular eyelet. Used for grasping tissue, particularly during intestinal and rectal operations. Also used in some OB/GYN procedures, particularly caesarian section. Under the name 'Duval clamp' they are occasionally used much like a Foerster clamp to atraumatically grasp lung tissue. The clamp is named after David Geoffrey Pennington, an Australian surgeon who is a pioneer of microsurgeries.
There are many different surgical specialties, some of which require very specific kinds of surgical instruments to perform.
Dental instruments are tools that dental professionals use to provide dental treatment. They include tools to examine, manipulate, treat, restore, and remove teeth and surrounding oral structures.
A needle holder, also called needle driver or needle forceps, is a surgical instrument similar to a hemostat, used by doctors and surgeons to hold and push a suturing needle when performing wound closure, ligation and other surgical procedures that require re-anastomosis.
A hip piercing is a piercing in the pelvic area through the skin near the hip bone. Hip piercings are often done in couplets with one on each hip, but it is not unusual to see only one. Hips piercing are a type of surface piercing. Microdermals or skin divers can be implanted in the hip area to give a similar appearance.
A surgical suture, also known as a stitch or stitches, is a medical device used to hold body tissues together and approximate wound edges after an injury or surgery. Application generally involves using a needle with an attached length of thread. There are numerous types of suture which differ by needle shape and size as well as thread material and characteristics. Selection of surgical suture should be determined by the characteristics and location of the wound or the specific body tissues being approximated.
The following is a list of instruments that are used in modern obstetrics and gynaecology.
In medicine, the term cheesewiring or cheesewire effect describes any process in which cells or intercellular matrix are dissected or extruded either by the material being pressed through a taut element, or by the tension of a taut element pulling through tissue. The procedure is typically conducted in a surgical setting.
An end effector is the device at the end of a robotic arm, designed to interact with the environment. The exact nature of this device depends on the application of the robot.
Surgical scissors are scissors specially manufactured as surgical instruments, typically used for cutting sutures, dressings, and cutting and dissecting biological tissue. Surgical scissors are usually made of surgical steel. Some have tungsten carbide reinforcements along their cutting edges, the hardness of which allows manufacturers to create sharper and more durable edges.
Mayo scissors are a type of surgical scissor, often used in the cutting of fascia.
Circumcision surgical procedure in males involves either a conventional "cut and stitch" surgical procedure or use of a circumcision instrument or device. In the newborn period, almost all circumcisions are done by generalist practitioners using one of three surgical instruments. In the US, the Gomco clamp is the most utilized instrument, followed by the Mogen clamp and the Plastibell. They are also used worldwide.
An Allis clamp is a commonly used surgical instrument. It was invented by Oscar Allis.
No-scalpel vasectomy is a type of vasectomy procedure in which a specifically designed ringed clamp and dissecting hemostat is used to puncture the scrotum to access the vas deferens. This is different from a conventional or incisional vasectomy where the scrotal opening is made with a scalpel. The NSV approach offers several benefits, including lower risk for bleeding, bruising, infection, and pain. The NSV approach also has a shorter procedure time than the conventional scalpel incision technique. Both approaches to vasectomy are equally effective. Because of the inherent simplicity of the procedure it affords itself to be used in public health programs worldwide. This method is used in over 40 countries for male sterilisation.
The Hartmann alligator forceps or Hartmann foreign body forceps, named after the German physician Arthur Hartmann, are medical forceps for removing foreign bodies. It is used in addition to surgery mainly in otorhinolaryngology (ENT). Their quality depends on the origin and quality of the stainless steel. Indian steel is used often for hobbyist use. FDA and CE certified instruments also veterinary instruments are normally made of Japanese or German steel.
Ancient Roman surgical practices developed from Greek techniques. Roman surgeons and doctors usually learned through apprenticeships or studying. Ancient Roman doctors such as Galen and Celsus described Roman surgical techniques in their medical literature, such as De Medicina. These methods encompassed modern oral surgery, cosmetic surgery, sutures, ligatures, amputations, tonsillectomies, mastectomies, cataract surgeries, lithotomies, hernia repair, gynecology, neurosurgery, and others. Surgery was a rare practice, as it was dangerous and often had fatal results. To perform these procedures, they used tools such as specula, catheters, enemas, bone levers, osteotomes, phlebotomes, probes, curettes, bone drills, bone forceps, cupping vessels, knives, scalpels, scissors, and spathas.