Tools for dental work.
Pediatric surgical instruments are differentiated by their functionality and applications; these instruments have varied purposes that differ with the types of surgeries performed. Because pediatric medicine is an ever-evolving field, there is an constant evolution in the development of instruments for pediatric surgery with more advanced characteristics. There are some defining characteristics of pediatric surgery instruments that are used conventionally.
Lightweight and Sensitive
Regardless of the type of procedure, pediatric instruments for surgery are lightweight and sensitive to the touch. These characteristics are important because the tissues of a fetus, a toddler or an adolescent are less mature and easily damaged. This is a main characteristic of the commonly used forceps that are used in surgeries ranging from cardiovascular surgery to micro-surgeries that might involve delicate and hidden tissues as well as dental surgery. Forceps, for example, are used to hold tissue as well as surgical dressings in a way that the surgeon literally can get under the tissue without tearing the artery or a vein in cardiovascular pediatric surgery. In case of dental surgery, the equipment is particularly thin and lightweight to ensure that the surgeon has the versatility of exposure given that the patient has a smaller mouth and smaller roots and tooth features than adults.
Flexible
More often than not, the instruments that are used in adult surgery are the same types that are used for pediatric surgery. Although the application remains the same, the characteristics differ substantially to accommodate the physiological needs of a pediatric patient. The instruments for pediatric surgery are flexible so that the surgeon is able to use these instruments with least possible damage to the organ that is being worked on.
Notably, the flexibility of the equipment is required because the smaller the surface area of the target of the surgery, the more complicated the surgery becomes. Instruments such as the tourniquet are used in micro-surgeries as well as more intricate types of pediatric surgery .According to the "Biomedical Engineering Journal," this is a newly developed instrument used for the temporary compression of blood vessels through ligature during surgery. Unlike the adult tourniquet, this is made of a toothed rack that makes it easier to compress blood vessels in the shortest time. This is a major difference from the adult tourniquet that requires the application of more energy and takes a lot of time to compress the blood vessels during surgery.
Made of Stainless Steel
Medical instruments are prone to high corrosion rates because they are exposed to oxidizing agents in the body as well as sterilizing agents. This is why all surgical equipment is made out of stainless steel. The immature immune systems of pediatric patients increase their sensitivity to foreign agents during surgery. Therefore, pediatric surgery instruments are made from high-quality stainless steel to ensure maximum sterility and safety.
