Surgical Instrument Identification Questions and Answers Flashcards

What is an Army-Navy retractor and where is it commonly used?

Answer: A double-ended hand-held retractor with different width blades, used across many specialties for shallow retraction

The Army-Navy is a double-ended hand-held retractor with a narrow blade on one end and a wider blade on the other, used broadly in general, plastic, and orthopedic surgery.

What instrument is a Gigli saw and how is it used?

Answer: A flexible wire saw with twisted strands and ring handles used for bone cutting

A Gigli saw is a flexible wire saw of twisted stainless steel strands with handles on each end, used to cut bone by passing it around the bone and pulling alternately.

How do you identify a Babcock clamp and what is its primary use?

Answer: Broad, fenestrated, non-crushing jaws for grasping delicate tubular structures

The Babcock has wide, rounded, fenestrated jaws with smooth surfaces, designed to gently grasp delicate tubes such as fallopian tubes, ureters, and bowel.

What is a Kerrison rongeur and what makes it unique?

Answer: An upward-biting punch with a thin footplate that slides under bone to remove measured bites

The Kerrison is a spring-loaded, upward-biting bone punch with a thin footplate that protects underlying tissue while removing precise bites of bone.

What is the function of a Yankauer suction tip?

Answer: To remove blood, fluids, and debris from the surgical field with a design preventing tissue aspiration

The Yankauer is the most common surgical suction device, with a bulb-shaped tip and side holes that allow fluid suction while preventing tissue aspiration.

What are Gelpi retractors and how do they differ from Weitlaner retractors?

Answer: Gelpi have single-point sharp prongs while Weitlaner have multiple-pronged tips

Both are self-retaining with ratchets, but Gelpi have single sharp-pointed prongs while Weitlaner have multiple prongs in 2x3 or 3x4 configurations.