Cutting instruments consisting of two blades pivoted centrally. The blades are closed and material cut by closing the handles. In cutting tissue the preferred technique is to hold the blades in a firmly half-closed position and to push the instrument along the grain of the tissues.
- bandage s. — designed for cutting tight bandages on patients without cutting the patient. Have one blade with a knob at the point for slipping under the bandage. Varieties are Knowles and Lister.
- blunt-sharp s. — see standard surgical scissors (below).
- corneal s. — small, with angled blades. See castroviejo ophthalmic instruments, mcguire scissors.
- dissection s. — used for separating tissues. See mayo scissors, metzenbaum scissors.
- iris s. — small, 3-4 inches long with sharp points, for ophthalmic surgery.
- plaster s. — robust for the cutting of plaster casts. See plaster shears, seutin shears.
- standard surgical s. — have one narrow sharp-pointed and one wide, blunt-pointed blade. Called also blunt-sharp scissors.
- stitch s., suture s. — for stitch removal; have a hook-shaped point on one blade to hook under the stitch before cutting it with the opposing blade.
- tenotomy s. — small, 4 inches long, very narrow blades, with large finger rings, for ophthalmic surgery. Called also Stevens scissors.
- thoracic s. — very long, up to 14 inches, scissors for reaching deeply located tissues. See nelson scissors.
- toenail s. — for trimming claws and beaks. May be guillotine style, see resco nail trimmer, or with curved blades, see white scissors.
- uterine s. — 9 inches long with long handles and short jaws. See mayo scissors.
- wire suture s. — short, strong construction with very short, sharp-pointed, angled blades.
