It is estimated that more than 230 million major surgeries
occur annually worldwide. Fortunately, the traumas associated with the interventions
are minimal due to modern techniques and instruments.
The quality of surgical instruments matters a lot for patient
safety and the success of the surgical intervention. These instruments are mostly
made of surgical steel, which is a very resistant material, non-corrosive; it
can be cleaned, sterilized and used several times.
Let`s take, for example, the scalpel, perhaps one of the
most popular surgical instruments. It is generally made of two components:
handle and blade. The blade of the surgical scalpel can be changed depending on
the procedure to be used. It has to be made of carbon steel or stainless steel. The steel used in the manufacture of surgical instruments must be extremely
thin. The technology behind it involved heat treatment, followed by sharpening
until the blade can cut tissues without the slightest effort. Then the blades
are cleaned very carefully and, after a thorough inspection, they are sent to
be individually wrapped in a special package. This package also contains an
anti-corrosive substance that provides the blade with an extra protective layer.
The surgical blades are sterile and disposable.
