Surgical forceps are hinged instruments with handles that are similar in design to scissors except that the cutting blades are replaced with an end that is made for securely holding objects. Surgical forceps vary greatly in size and design. Some are made for precise, small-scale tissue manipulation and are generally quite small while others are needed to provide a great deal of clamping force on an area of tissue. Some kinds of forceps can lock in position so they can clamp down on an object without needing any external force. Forceps are not only used in surgery; fishermen, for example, use them to remove hooks from the mouths of fish.
Medical professionals, especially surgeons, use many forceps on a daily basis. They are essential to modern surgical practices because of their versatility and their ability to manipulate and hold tissue without strongly affecting nearby tissue. Surgical forceps are also sometimes used to hold and to manipulate suture needles because they offer much greater precision than the surgeon's hand alone can. Additionally, this reduces the risk that the surgeon will harm himself while removing the needles, thereby contaminating the patient with his own blood. Their light weight and small size makes them unobtrusive and easy to use without getting in the way of other surgical instruments.
There are many different varieties of surgical forceps that are used frequently by medical professionals. Bulldog forceps are among the smallest; they are held closed by springs and are used primarily for fine, precise tissue manipulation. One variety of locking surgical forceps, referred to as hemostats, are used to control bleeding by clamping off arteries. When necessary, forceps can even be used to assist in the delivery of a child. Such forceps are usually quite large as they must wrap around the infant's head before they are able to position the infant properly for birth.
Surgical forceps are usually made out of stainless steel, carbon steel, or titanium. High-grade materials can help prevent problems with the instruments, such as rust or bending, from interfering with the process of surgery. High-quality materials can also survive high-temperature sterilization procedures. This is very important, as all surgical instruments must undergo extensive sterilization in order to prevent any infection or contamination from occurring during surgical procedures. Forceps made for personal or home use are generally not made out of materials of such high quality and sterilization and durability are often less important than low cost and convenience.
