Tech in Surgery Prep / Unit 12 TSC 282 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Scissors: Mayo and Metzenbaum
The idea
The two scissors seen most often are the heavy Mayo scissors and the lighter, finer Metzenbaum scissors.
In practice
Compare them in order. First, Mayo scissors are heavy and strong with short blades. Curved Mayo scissors cut tough tissue, such as fascia and muscle. Second, straight Mayo scissors are used to cut suture and other non-tissue items. Third, Metzenbaum scissors, often called Metz, have long, slender shanks and fine tips; they cut and dissect delicate tissue, and their tips can spread tissue planes apart. Fourth, the quickest way to tell them apart on a tray is proportion: Mayo scissors are heavy with short blades, while Metzenbaum scissors are long and slender.
Where people slip
Metzenbaum scissors are kept for delicate tissue, and suture and heavy material are cut with the Mayo scissors built for them. Hand the surgeon the right pair for the task, every time.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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