Setting Up a Minor OT: Surgical Instruments Checklist, Choosing Forceps and Caring for Steel
Setting up a minor operating theatre (OT) or procedure room in a clinic? This guide covers the hand instruments to buy first, how common forceps differ, what to look for in stainless steel, and how to clean and sterilise instruments so they last. It is written for doctors, clinic owners and OT staff in India. Always follow your own surgical protocols and your hospital or clinic's infection-control policy.
What basic instruments does a minor OT need first?
Most minor procedures (wound repair, small excisions, incision and drainage, biopsies, suturing) can be done with a compact set. Buy enough sets to cover a full day's cases while others are being reprocessed.
- Cutting: scalpel handles No. 3 (fits blades 10, 11, 15) and No. 4 (blades 20–24); straight and curved dissecting scissors (Mayo, Metzenbaum); suture-cutting scissors.
- Grasping: toothed tissue forceps (Adson 1×2 for skin), plain (non-toothed) dissecting forceps, Allis forceps for firm tissue, sponge-holding forceps for skin preparation.
- Haemostasis: mosquito forceps (curved and straight) and medium artery forceps (Kelly/Crile).
- Suturing: needle holders (Mayo-Hegar), plus disposable suture and blades.
- Retraction: small hand retractors (Langenbeck, Senn or Army-Navy) and skin hooks.
- Support items: kidney trays, gallipots, instrument tray, towel clips and dressing drums.
Browse these in our surgical instruments collection, or send your list to our bulk team for a single quote.
Mosquito forceps vs standard artery forceps (haemostats)
Both are ratcheted clamps used to hold or occlude bleeding vessels. Mosquito forceps are small (about 12–14 cm) with fine, delicate jaws, used for small vessels and fine tissue in minor and plastic procedures. Kelly and Crile forceps are larger with sturdier jaws for medium vessels and heavier tissue. Using a mosquito on thick tissue can spring the jaws, and a large haemostat crushes more tissue than needed on fine work, so most minor OTs keep both.
Straight vs curved artery forceps
Straight forceps are used on superficial tissue and for holding sutures or drapes. Curved forceps give better visibility and access in deeper or confined areas, and their tips are easier to place around a vessel before ligation. A typical minor set includes both.
German vs Indian stainless steel instruments
What matters most is not the country printed on the box but the grade of steel, heat treatment, finish and jaw alignment. Premium imported instruments are often made to tighter tolerances and keep their edges and ratchets longer, which suits high-volume theatres. Well-made Indian instruments in surgical-grade stainless steel are widely used for routine clinical work and teaching at a lower cost. Whatever you buy, check that jaws close evenly, ratchets lock and release smoothly, box joints are clean and tips meet without overlap.
How to clean and autoclave instruments without rust or pitting
- Clean promptly. Rinse off blood and tissue as soon as possible after use; dried blood and saline cause staining and pitting.
- Open and soak. Open ratchets and box joints and soak in an enzymatic or neutral-pH instrument detergent made for surgical steel. Avoid bleach, saline soaks and harsh acidic or alkaline cleaners.
- Scrub and rinse. Use soft brushes (never steel wool), pay attention to serrations and hinges, then rinse thoroughly, ideally with distilled or RO water to avoid mineral spots.
- Dry completely before packing. Moisture trapped in hinges is a common cause of rust.
- Lubricate hinges with a water-soluble instrument lubricant ("instrument milk").
- Pack and sterilise with ratchets open, in pouches or wrapped trays, following your autoclave manufacturer's validated cycle. Do not overload the chamber, and let packs dry fully before removal.
- Inspect regularly. Remove instruments with cracks, misaligned tips or loose joints, and keep damaged or rusted items away from good ones to stop rust spreading.
Note: reusable instruments from any supplier, including Surgismart, arrive clean but non-sterile. Sterilise them before first use. See our licences and compliance page for details.
Where to buy surgical instruments in India
Surgismart is a licensed medical device distributor in Choolai, Chennai (Form 20B: TN/Z01/20B/00713, Form 21B: TN/Z01/21B/00713). We ship surgical instruments across India, with same-day dispatch on orders placed before 2 PM (Monday to Saturday) and Cash on Delivery. Clinics and hospitals can request bulk pricing for full sets.
