Definition

Noun: A specialized tool or device designed for use during surgical procedures. These instruments are crafted to perform specific functions such as cutting, dissecting, grasping, holding, retracting, or suturing tissues.

Usage

A "surgical instrument" is a precise tool used by surgeons and other medical professionals in an operating room. Its primary purpose is to assist in performing surgical operations safely and effectively.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The surgeon carefully selected a scalpel, the primary surgical instrument for the initial incision.
  • Sterilization of all surgical instruments is a critical step before any operation.
  • Nurses are responsible for counting all surgical instruments before and after the procedure to ensure none are left inside the patient.

Advanced Usage

• "to pass a surgical instrument": The act of a surgical assistant handing a needed tool to the operating surgeon.
  • The scrub nurse must anticipate the surgeon's needs to pass the correct surgical instrument efficiently.

Variants and Related Words

• Surgical tool: A common synonym for surgical instrument.
• Medical instrument: A broader category that includes devices used for diagnosis and treatment, not exclusively in surgery.
• Laparoscopic instrument: A specific type of surgical instrument used in minimally invasive (keyhole) surgery.

Synonyms

• Operating instrument
• Surgical tool
• Surgical device

Related Phrases

• Surgical instrument set: A pre-arranged collection of instruments needed for a specific type of surgery.

  • The surgical team opened the sterile pack containing the cardiac surgical instrument set.

• Surgical instrument tray: A sterilized tray on which instruments are organized for use during an operation.

  • Instruments were neatly arranged on the surgical instrument tray beside the operating table.

Noun

1. a medical instrument used in surgery