54 Basic Surgical Instruments: Pictures, Names, and Uses
All 54 basic surgical instruments with clear photos, names and what each one is used for, grouped by function. Free printable version and flashcards included.
14 Instruments for Grasping & Holding
Every card below is a live entry from our comprehensive instrument library. Tap any card to see alternative names, inspection points, caution notes, and passing technique.
Adair Tenaculum ForcepsGrasps and holds firm tissue securely. Makers list it with the uterine tenaculums for gynecologic surgery, and in general surgery it is used to grasp large breast masses.Grasping & Holding
Adson-Brown ForcepsGrasping delicate, superficial tissue such as skin edges, often in plastic and hand surgery.Grasping & Holding
Cushing Bayonet Dressing ForcepsHolds delicate tissue gently in deep, narrow fields, such as in neurosurgery.Grasping & Holding
Non-Toothed PickupGrasping tissue, applying dressings, and handling gauze packing, which does not catch on it the way it would on teeth.Grasping & Holding
Ferris Smith Tissue ForcepsGrasps heavy, dense or fibrous tissue, muscle and bone. Common in orthopedic, spine, obstetric and colorectal surgery.Grasping & Holding
Foerster Sponge ForcepsHolds a folded gauze sponge as a sponge stick for prepping, soaking up blood or blunt dissection deep in a wound. Also used to grasp tissue such as lung, and to remove uterine contents.Grasping & Holding
Lahey Traction ForcepsIdeal for securing and manipulating dense fibrous tissues.Grasping & Holding
Russian Tissue ForcepsEffective for gripping dense tissues or wound edges during closure, particularly in OB/GYN procedures.Grasping & Holding- Quick check
Could you name these on the back table?
Five free CST practice questions: identify by photo, pick the use, spot the look-alike. The reason behind every answer, no account needed.
Singley Tissue ForcepsSecures delicate tissues, dressings, or intestinal tissue in general, urologic, thoracic, and OB/GYN surgeries.Grasping & Holding
Adson ForcepsGrasping delicate or superficial tissue. The toothed version aligns the wound edges during skin stapling and holds superficial tissue while Steri-Strips are placed.Grasping & Holding
Kocher Intestinal ForcepsClamps and holds bowel during intestinal surgery.Grasping & Holding
Bonney ForcepsGrasps thick, tough tissue such as fascia and muscle; common in obstetric and orthopedic cases.Grasping & Holding
Penetrating Towel ClampHolds towels and drapes together and in place. Also used to grasp tough tissue that will be removed and to hold small bone fractures. Never use it to attach the ESU cord or suction tubing to the drapes; it punctures them.Grasping & Holding
Toothed ForcepsEffective for securing moderate-to-dense tissues during wound approximation and closure procedures.Grasping & Holding
Telling the near-identical apart.
Nobody confuses a retractor with a suction tip. What costs you time on the Mayo stand is the pairs that look nearly identical in a crowded tray. Every pair comes down to a single distinguishing feature:
Deaver vs. Richardson Retractor
Curved Mayo vs. Metzenbaum Scissors
Crile Hemostat vs. Kelly Forceps
Allis Forceps vs. Babcock Forceps
Needle Holder vs. Hemostatic Clamp
Adson Tissue vs. Adson-Brown Forceps
Would you know it on the back table?
Reading an instrument list is not the same as identifying it in seconds under surgical lights. Our built-in testing system generates questions directly from real cases with authentic photographs and realistic distractors.
Try this live question from our testing system. Select an answer below to see the instant clinical explanation — no account required for this sample.
The six functional families.
Instrument names become intuitive once you stop memorising them one by one. Almost every basic instrument belongs to one of these six functional groups:
Cutting & Dissecting
Scalpels, scissors, and curettes designed to divide, excise, or incise tissue. The working edge is sharp and must be protected when passing.
Grasping & Holding
Tissue forceps, sponge holders, and tenaculums that manipulate tissue or maintain exposure without slipping.
Clamping & Occluding
Hemostats and vascular clamps that compress blood vessels or hollow lumens to achieve haemostasis and prevent leakage.
Retracting
Handheld and self-retaining instruments that hold wound edges and organs away from the operative field to optimize visualization.
Suturing
Instruments engineered to drive needles, manipulate suture material, or approximate wound margins with clips and staples.
Suctioning & Aspirating
Hollow probes and cannulas attached to vacuum lines to remove blood, smoke, peritoneal fluid, and debris from the surgical field.
Why identification speed matters at the table.
Naming an instrument on a written quiz and handing it across a Mayo stand in under two seconds are two completely different skills. In the operating room, a surgeon will ask for an instrument with their eyes locked on the incision. If you hesitate or deliver the wrong clamp, the operative tempo breaks.
- Pass with purpose and orientation: Ring-handled instruments (scissors, clamps, needle holders) must be placed firmly into the surgeon's palm with the rings down and the tips facing upward or in the direction of intended use.
- Protect the tip: Scalpels (#3, #7) and sharp retractors (Senn, Volkman) should always be handed over with the sharp edge facing away from your hands and the surgeon's fingers.
- Real tables are not clean catalog shoots: On a live back table, instruments sit under lap sponges, reflect glare from surgical lights, and get wet with saline. Learn instruments by their distinctive silhouettes and hinge geometries.
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