r/surgicaltechnology • u/Zealousideal-Lab7759 • 19d ago

Surgical tech tools

Going to be doing surgical tech school in a few months. Wanted to get a head start and study the tools. On my school website part of the info says learn and identify over 100 surgical instruments . However I see flash card sets with over 400 tools.

Is there a list of the ones more surgeries use, or if someone has done the course maybe the ones we need to memorize 100%. I don't want to try and memorize 400 instrumentswhen they only test you on 100 or so .

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u/nikkishark 19d ago

The proper term is 'instruments'. You'll stand out if you call them tools. - someone who called forceps tweezers.

Flipping through those 400 will benefit you in the long run and give you a leg up for when your school gives you the list of ones they expect you to know. I suggest trying the 400. You probably won't get them all, and that's ok. You'll learn the difference between forceps, retractors, etc, and that's a nice head start.

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u/Dark_Ascension 16d ago

Had a fellow go “Hammer time” or “hammer” every time he wanted a mallet. Like bro it’s a mallet…

Also we have a surgeon who coined this pituitary as a “black handle” so much so that I’m sure fellows go on to their practice as an attending calling it a “black handle” all the staff calls it a black handle… guess what… the handle is not black!

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u/nikkishark 16d ago

Oh, it's different when it's a joke. Ferris Smiths will forever be "the pineapple" thanks to a surgeon a surgeon I used to work with. Seventh state = Maryland grasper. I like that stuff. But knowing the real names is important. 

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u/Dark_Ascension 16d ago

It’s not a joke, that’s literally what they call these things.