Mayo scissors

Mayo scissors

Mayo scissorsare a type ofsurgical scissor,often used in the cutting offascia.

Etymology

Mayo scissors were developed byMayo Clinicsurgeons.

Description

Mayo scissors may be made fromstainless steelortitanium,with stainless steel ones being markedly cheaper than titanium ones. They may also be available in standard or extra-long scissors, and typically measure between 150 mm (6 inches) and 170 mm (6 ¾ inches) in length.

Like most other modern-day surgical instruments, a vast majority of Mayo scissors are made from stainless steel and are disposable for convenience: such instruments may be simply thrown away rather than beingsterilizedand reprocessed after use.

Types of Mayo scissors

Straight- and curved-blade varieties of Mayo scissors exist, each of which is particularly suited to specific surgical, includingveterinaryandpodiatric surgeryapplications.

• Mayo scissorshave semi-blunt ends, a feature that distinguishes them from most other surgical scissors.Metzenbaum scissorsare, however, similar in that the ends are the same on both scissor halves, but its handles are longer and its middle section is slightly narrower.
• Straight-bladed Mayo scissorsare designed for cutting body tissues near the surface of a wound. As straight-bladed Mayo scissors are also used for cuttingsutures,they are also referred to as "suture scissors".
• Curved-bladed Mayo scissorsallow deeper penetration into the wound than the type with straight blades. The curved style of Mayo scissor is used to cut thick tissues such as those found in the uterus, muscles, breast, and foot. Mayo scissors used for dissection are placed in tissue with the tips closed. The scissors are then opened so that the tips open and spread out the tissue during the dissection process.

See also

• Instruments used in general surgery