During a surgical procedure, the hemostat, which is a clamp with ratchets that grasps blood vessels or tissue, is used to achieve hemostasis, also known as the stopping of bleeding; after the hemostats have been applied, suture materials are knotted around the bleeding vessels. For the purpose of drying up the field, absorbent sterile napkins known as sponges made from a range of natural and synthetic materials are utilized. Electrocautery, which involves using a tool that is heated with an electric current to cauterise or burn vascular tissue, is another method that can be used to reduce bleeding. The scalpel (knife), hemostatic forceps, flexible tissue-holding forceps, wound retractors for exposure, crushing and non-crushing clamps for intestinal and vascular surgery, and the curved needle for working in depth is still the most frequently used instruments in surgery.
The Primary Objective of Using Hemostatic Forceps
During surgical procedures, hemostatic forceps are portable tools that are used to clamp onto blood arteries and stop bleeding. They are essential instruments in the kits of surgeons and paramedics, who may also refer to them as blood vessel forceps or simply as hemostats. Surgeons and paramedics may also refer to them in this manner. The word stems from the Greek word stations, which means “making to stop,” and the prefix hemo, which is related to blood. Outside of the realm of medicine, on the other hand, people have a tendency to refer to them by more colloquial terminology, such as pliers, tweezers, or tongs – everyday devices that are somewhat similar to these specialist instruments and are commonly found in households.
The Most Commonly Employed Surgical Instrument
A variety of clamps, tissue holds, and needle holders are also included in the family of pivoting surgical devices that belong to which hemostatic forceps are a member. The majority of hemostats have a form that is similar to that of scissors but have rounded edges rather than sharp ones. The points, sometimes known as the beaks, of these forceps, might either be straight or curved, depending on the task for which the instrument was designed. It is possible for the beaks of forceps to be serrated in order to facilitate the grasping or gentle manipulation of more sensitive blood vessels. The length of forceps can range from 3 inches (about 7.5 cm) all the way up to 10.5 inches (approximately 26.5 cm), therefore there is a wide variety of sizes available.
Consolidating the Forceps
In addition, the handles of hemostatic forceps can either lock or not lock in place, depending on the user’s preference. Because these grips come with a locking mechanism, they can be utilized to secure the clamp around blood arteries while still allowing the surgeon to use their hands for other tasks. The locking mechanism of forceps typically consists of interlocking teeth, with half lined along one handle and the other half lined down the other. These teeth are arranged in such a way that they can be modified to change the amount of pressure that is applied during clamping.
The body of locking forceps typically features a hinge in the same location as a pair of scissors, giving them the appearance of a pair of scissors.
Forceps That Do Not Lock Together
When working with blood arteries that are more delicate, it is extremely crucial for a surgeon to have direct control over the clamping pressure of the instrument. Non-locking forceps give the surgeon this ability. Non-locking forceps can be hinged in the middle, similar to the majority of locking forceps, or they can be hinged at the handle, like a pair of tweezers. Either way, they can be used to grasp and hold objects.
Longer life of Disposable Forceps
The general form of hemostatic forceps is one that is long and slender, with the intention of facilitating access to blood arteries while causing the least amount of damage possible to the organs and tissues in the surrounding area. Because of its primary purpose, which is to be used in surgical procedures, these forceps are often crafted from carbon steel of high quality. Because this form of steel is robust enough to be able to endure the high temperatures and abrasion of repeated sterilization, items made of this material tend to have a reasonable amount of shelf life. There is also a type of forceps known as disposable forceps, which are manufactured entirely of plastic and are designed to be utilized for a single purpose only. For more: JimyMedical.co.uk.
