The Correct Selection and the Appropriate Use of Surgical Instrumentation - Essay Example

It is imperative that dissecting scissors are not misused, for example, to cut ligature material and sutures (Phillips 2007, p. 31). When using scalpels, care should be taken to make precise and continuous incisions, which prevents the risk of damaging surrounding tissues. Essentially, short successive incisions will create jagged edges, which take more time to heal (Rothrock 2003, p. 39). The correct choice of forceps requires that either straight or curved ones are selected depending on the intended procedure to facilitate ease and safety of use. This minimizes the potential risk of dislodging vessels and damaging blood vessels.

The choice of either hand-held or self-retaining retractors will be determined by the nature of the procedure (Davies & Mamalis 2007, p. 83). This is in order to prevent damaging surrounding and underlying tissues from pressure. Appropriate needle holders also prevent the damaging of tissues. Another instrument whose choice is determined by the nature and location of the procedure is the suction device (Skinner 2000, p. 43). The key hazard of inappropriate selection and improper use is damaging tissues, which may result in loss of function. Although different surgeons will have different preferences of instruments for the same operation, the correct choice encourages optimum individual performance (Rothrock 1999, p. 14).