Appendectomy Surgical Instruments: A Comprehensive Overview
Standard instrument set for open or laparoscopic appendectomy:
Essential Instruments
- Scalpel: Initial incision (typically #10 or #15 blade)
- Retractors: Handheld (Army-Navy, Richardson) or self-retaining (Balfour, Bookwalter) for exposure
- Forceps: Tissue (Adson, Allis, Babcock), hemostatic (Kelly, Crile, Mosquito), atraumatic (Debakey)
- Hemostats: Clamp vessels for ligation
- Scissors: Mayo (heavy), Metzenbaum (fine), suture scissors
- Needle Drivers: Mayo-Heger, Crile-Wood, Castroviejo for suturing
- Sutures: Absorbable (Vicryl, PDS) for stump/appendiceal base; nonabsorbable for skin
- Irrigation/Suction: Poole tip for peritoneal lavage
- Electrocautery: Monopolar/bipolar for hemostasis
- Sponges/Lap Pads: Absorb fluids, protect tissues
- Specimen Bag: For appendix removal (laparoscopic)
- Laparoscopic Ports/Instruments: Trocars, graspers, dissectors, staplers/endoloops (for laparoscopic approach)
Variations
Instrument selection varies by surgeon preference, approach (open vs. laparoscopic), patient anatomy, and intraoperative findings.
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