Metzenbaum Scissors, Blunt Dissecting, 14.6 cm to 27.5 cm, Curved or Straight, Razor Edge

What metzenbaum scissors are

Metzenbaum scissors are dissecting scissors with a long slim shank, a short blunt blade and two finger rings, made 14.6 cm to 27.5 cm long. The blade is roughly a third of the total length, which is what gives the instrument its stretched look and lets the tips reach deep without the hand blocking the view. Surgeons use metzenbaum scissors mostly for blunt dissection, pushing the closed tips into a tissue plane and letting them spring apart to open it, and then for dividing the thin soft tissue that plane exposes.

Applications

Adas Instruments supplies this pattern for the following work.

Size chart

Every length is made in curved and straight, and in both blade builds.

Curved metzenbaum scissors and straight

Curved metzenbaum scissors follow the tissue plane and let the surgeon see past the blade tip, which is why the curved pattern is the one most trays carry. Straight metzenbaum scissors cut in the line of the hand and suit a shallow, direct division. Both are made here in all five lengths.

Standard razor edge and tungsten carbide razor edge

Metzenbaum scissors razor edge are made in two builds, and both carry the same razor grind. The standard build is plain medical grade stainless steel. The tungsten carbide build adds a carbide insert on the cutting edge and gold plated finger rings, and holds that grind through far more reprocessing cycles, which is what a set autoclaved every day needs.

Technical specification

Made in Sialkot by Adas Instruments

Adas Instruments grinds and finishes these metzenbaum scissors in Sialkot, Pakistan. Every pair is passivated, boil tested, ultrasonically cleaned and individually packed, ships non sterile and fully autoclavable, and carries a lifetime technical warranty to ISO 13485 and CE mark.

Care and reprocessing

Wash metzenbaum scissors in an ultrasonic bath and get the fluid into the box joint, because that is where blood dries and stiffens the action. Put a drop of instrument lubricant on the joint after every cycle. A stiff pair spreads tissue instead of releasing cleanly, which is the whole point of the instrument. Autoclave in the open position. Never cut suture, fascia or drape with a metzenbaum. That is the mayo scissor job, and doing it here rolls the fine grind and no sharpening fully brings it back.

Frequently asked questions

What are metzenbaum scissors used for?

Metzenbaum scissors are used for blunt dissection: opening a plane between two tissue layers by pushing the closed blades in and letting them spring apart, rather than cutting. Surgeons also use them to divide thin soft tissue once the plane is open. They are not meant for skin, fascia or suture.

Are metzenbaum scissors curved or straight?

Both are made. Curved metzenbaum scissors are the more common pattern because the curve follows the tissue plane and lets the surgeon see past the tip. Straight metzenbaum scissors suit a cut in the line of the hand. Adas Instruments makes both patterns in all five lengths.

What is the difference between mayo and metzenbaum scissors?

Metzenbaum scissors have long thin shanks, short blades and blunt tips, and are built for delicate blunt dissection. Mayo scissors are heavier with shorter shanks and thicker blades, and are built to cut tough tissue such as fascia and suture. A rough guide on the tray is that the blade is about a third of the total length on a metzenbaum and about half on a mayo.

How do you identify metzenbaum scissors?

Look at the ratio. Metzenbaum scissors have a long slim shank with a short blunt blade at the end, so the instrument looks stretched. The tips are rounded, never pointed. On the tungsten carbide build the finger rings are gold plated.

What does razor edge mean on metzenbaum scissors?

A razor edge is a blade ground to a much finer bevel than a standard surgical blade and then honed. It parts tissue instead of pressing it, so the cut edge stays clean. Adas Instruments grinds this edge in Sialkot, Pakistan, on both the standard and the tungsten carbide build.

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