Mastering Blood Flow Control: The Varied Designs, Correct Intraoperative Application, and Essential Role of Hemostats in Achieving Surgical Hemostasis and Tissue Manipulation
Hemostats, also known as hemostatic clamps or artery forceps, are indispensable, pivoting surgical instruments designed to securely clamp blood vessels to control hemorrhage during operative procedures, a technique essential for maintaining patient safety. Similar in form to scissors but featuring a ratcheted locking mechanism on the handles, they allow the surgeon to maintain consistent, targeted pressure on an exposed vessel before it is permanently sealed with a ligature or cautery.
Available in various sizes, such as the delicate Mosquito forceps for small vessels and the larger Kelly forceps for deeper tissue, their specific jaw pattern (straight or curved, fully or partially serrated) dictates their optimal use in both clamping and blunt tissue dissection. A focused discussion can analyze the historical evolution of these tools, the types of hemostasis achieved, and the need for careful handling to avoid unnecessary crushing injury to clamped tissue.