Short answer: basic surgical instruments fall into six groups — cutting, grasping, clamping (hemostats), retracting, suturing and suction. Learning instruments by function makes it much easier to recognise new patterns, because most are variations of the same design named after the surgeon who modified them.
1. Cutting and dissecting instruments
| Instrument | Use |
|---|---|
| Scalpel handle No. 3 | Holds small blades (No. 10, 11, 15) for skin and fine incisions |
| Scalpel handle No. 4 | Holds larger blades (No. 20–23) for long incisions |
| Mayo scissors | Heavy scissors for thick tissue and cutting sutures |
| Metzenbaum scissors | Long, fine scissors for delicate tissue dissection |
| Iris scissors | Small, sharp scissors for fine work and suture removal |
| Lister bandage scissors | Blunt lower blade slides under dressings safely |
2. Grasping instruments (tissue forceps)
| Instrument | Use |
|---|---|
| Adson forceps | Small forceps for skin closure; toothed (1×2) or smooth |
| DeBakey forceps | Atraumatic forceps for vessels and bowel |
| Toothed tissue forceps | Firm grip on tough tissue such as fascia |
| Dressing (smooth) forceps | Handling dressings and delicate tissue |
| Allis forceps | Ratcheted, toothed jaws to hold tissue that will be removed |
| Babcock forceps | Rounded, fenestrated jaws for bowel and tubular structures |
| Sponge holding forceps | Holding gauze for skin prep and swabbing |
3. Clamping instruments (hemostats)
| Instrument | Use |
|---|---|
| Mosquito (Halsted) forceps | Small vessels and delicate tissue |
| Kelly forceps | Medium vessels; serrations on the distal half of the jaw |
| Crile forceps | Like Kelly but serrated along the full jaw |
| Rochester-Pean | Large vessels and tissue bundles |
| Kocher forceps | Serrated jaws with 1×2 teeth for tough tissue |
| Right-angle (Mixter) forceps | Passing ties around vessels and ducts |
| Backhaus towel clamp | Securing drapes to each other |
4. Retractors
| Instrument | Use |
|---|---|
| Senn retractor | Small double-ended hand retractor for superficial wounds |
| Army-Navy retractor | Superficial and medium-depth incisions |
| Weitlaner retractor | Self-retaining with sharp or blunt prongs |
| Richardson retractor | Deeper abdominal and chest wounds |
| Deaver retractor | Curved blade for deep abdominal cavities |
| Balfour retractor | Self-retaining abdominal wall retractor |
5. Suturing instruments
- Mayo-Hegar needle holder — the general-purpose needle driver.
- Halsey and Webster needle holders — smaller, for fine skin closure.
- Olsen-Hegar — needle holder with built-in scissors.
- Castroviejo — spring-handled micro needle holder for ophthalmic and microsurgery.
Read more in our guide to tungsten carbide vs stainless needle holders.
6. Suction instruments
- Yankauer — rigid, bulb-tipped suction for general and oral use.
- Frazier — narrow suction with a thumb port, for ENT and neurosurgery.
- Poole — multi-holed tip for large volumes of fluid in the abdomen.
How to learn instrument names quickly
- Learn by function first, then by name.
- Compare look-alikes side by side: Kelly vs Crile (serration length), Mayo vs Metzenbaum (blade length to handle ratio).
- Handle the real instruments — a basic instrument set or dissection kit makes the differences obvious.
- Practise setting up a Mayo stand in the order the surgeon will use the instruments.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four basic categories of surgical instruments?
Many textbooks use four: cutting, grasping/holding, clamping/occluding and retracting/exposing. Suturing and suction instruments are often added as separate groups.
What is the difference between a Kelly and a Crile hemostat?
A Kelly has serrations on roughly the distal half of the jaw; a Crile is serrated along the full length of the jaw.
Which scissors are used to cut sutures?
Straight Mayo scissors are used for cutting sutures in theatre; smaller suture or iris scissors are used for removing stitches.
What steel are surgical instruments made of?
Reusable instruments are made from martensitic stainless steel such as AISI 410 and 420, hardened and passivated so they hold an edge and resist corrosion.
Factory-direct surgical instruments from Sialkot — shop surgical instruments →