Typical causes:
Lime deposits in water
Slow/bad drying process
Substances in chemicals
Typical causes:
Blood debris
Mixing stainless and plated steel
Water with high iron content
Materials in new systems
Typical causes:
Exposure to too high a temperature (>200 C)
Being sharpened or polished incorrectly
Typical causes:
Ammonia
Amines after de-calcification
It might sound counterintuitive: How can an instrument that costs you several hundred pounds save you money compared to lower quality instruments that you can buy for a fraction of the price?
Below are four clear reasons why:
High quality surgical instruments are always manufactured with longevity in mind. Crafted by experts in instrument design and metallurgy, they understand how to create surgical tools that optimise performance and durability.
For example, top manufacturers will always choose the highest quality stainless steel rather than lower grade metal, as this will significantly enhance instrument longevity.
They are also likely to produce ceramic-coated instruments, which provide four to five times higher surface hardness than stainless steel, reduced abrasiveness and greater resistance to rust and corrosion.
They might also make instruments in Titanium, which is another high-performance metal that is recognised for its superior durability, being both fracture-proof and non-rusting.
What’s more, instruments that are hand-crafted, rather than made by machine, can have incredibly long life expectancy.
For example, in a study to test whether Stille hand-crafted surgical scissors really did deliver on the manufacturer warranty of 30 years, it was found that 74% of the Stille scissors used in a busy surgical centre were actually older than 50 years.(1)
Of course, whilst top surgeons and the sterilization services team might well value long-lasting surgical instruments, procurement teams charged with reducing operating room costs might find it hard to justify larger upfront costs for buying these products.
This is where a lifetime warranty comparison can really shine a light on the value of investing in higher quality instruments. By simply comparing the length of instrument warranties and dividing those time periods either by instrument cost or instrument use, it can be easily seen that the highest quality instruments will always be the star performers when it comes to value for money.
Obviously, high quality instruments with the longest warranties will prove the most cost-effective, so whichever instrument you are looking to purchase, make sure to research the various manufacturer warranties before buying anything. Whilst some will offer a 30-year warranty, others may only offer 1-5 years.
Alternatively, if your procurement team is considering single-use disposable instruments, a cost-in-use comparison with a high quality reusable instrument will invariably show the latter to be the most cost-effective investment.
For example, one study of laparoscopic instruments showed that “the total cost for single-use instruments would have been more than seven times that for reusable instruments.”(2)
Another cost advantage to purchasing high quality surgical instruments is that they will often only need servicing every couple of years and some brands even offer the first service free within the initial purchase price.
What’s more, some high-quality instruments will be designed to allow for the instrument parts to be dismantled during servicing by the manufacturer, allowing for thorough inspection of corrosion at the joints to help maximise instrument longevity.
Low-quality instruments will not only require servicing more regularly, causing greater cost and disruption to instrument availability, they are also more likely to develop hairline fractures and corroded surfaces that mean effective servicing is no longer possible.
There is also an environmental cost benefit for choosing long-lasting quality instruments over cheaper reusables in many cases.
For example, a study that compared mainly German brand reusable scissors to both German and Pakistani disposable scissors revealed that the reusable scissors were better for the environment. (3)
This is because whilst they take more energy to come to market, the reusable scissors are used thousands of times more than the disposable ones.
In addition, there is less ongoing environmental impact from servicing high-quality reusable surgical instruments than low-quality ones, which will require much more documentation, packaging, labelling and transportation for servicing.
As can be seen from the above, it is easy to justify the greater outlay for purchasing high-quality reusable surgical instruments, even in the face of significant budgetary pressures.
In fact, the rapidity with which poor quality instruments degrade means that, even if you have missed the boat for submitting instrument requests for this financial year, it is worth waiting until you have the budget to buy the best in twelve months’ time.
To view our range of high-quality surgical instruments.
You can also contact our Cairn instrument team on 0845 226 0185 to arrange for a demonstration of our surgical instruments or to evaluate instruments on loan.
REFERENCES:
(1) Dahl G, Ölveback T, Wiklung L. Quality surgical instruments best investment. Presented: SEORNA, Swedish Operating Nurse Association Conference Meeting, 29-30 November 2012
(2) Gabriel N Schaer, MD, Ossi R Koechli, MD and Urs Haller, MD. Single-use versus reusable laparoscopic surgical instruments: A comparative cost analysis. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology Volume 173, Issue 6, Pages 1812-1815, December 1995
(3) http://www.sustainable-manufacturing.com/files/ 982_JGARG-Review_1-2012_Scissors_Aug2012_7g0i26.pdf
Titanium micro instruments offer several clear benefits for the surgeon over standard stainless steel models.
For this reason, Swedish surgical instrument manufacturer, Stille, has introduced a range of titanium micro forceps and needle holders.
· They are lighter than stainless steel micro instruments, helping to reduce fatigue during lengthy procedures
· They are made from the finest U.S. origin alloy, giving you better durability and fracture toughness than lower grade titanium instruments
· As titanium is a non-magnetic metal, the instruments minimise frustration caused by magnetized needles
· With the exception of the DeBakey models, the forceps and needle holders have Diamond Jaws for improved durability and proper gripping of fine sutures
· They are very resistant to corrosion, meaning they can maintain their performance and integrity for longer
With a range of 17 titanium micro forceps and 21 titanium micro needle holders, the surgeon has a wide selection of straight and curved models to choose from.
These include micro forceps with a variety of features including tying platform, counter-balanced design, fine ring tips and 1.2mm fine atraumatic DeBakey tips.
The micro needle holder range includes models with fine 0.8mm Diamond Jaws, a regular box lock for sutures 7-0 and smaller, and optional ratchet. There is also a range with 1.2mm Diamond Jaws, a streamlined box lock for sutures 5-0 and smaller, and optional ratchet.
The above features offer clear benefits for helping surgeons during delicate and complex procedures.
What’s more, they also provide an excellent long-term investment, where the procurement department needs to be reassured that any upfront cost can be justified by instrument longevity.
If you would like to handle our Stille titanium micro instruments to see how they feel, please contact our surgical instrument sales team on 0845 226 0185. They will be happy to visit you and show you our range.
If you prefer, they can also show you our range of Stainless stainless steel micro instruments.
At first, it might seem strange that instruments made from stainless steel can suddenly appear stained or discoloured. After all, stainless steel is surely exactly that: stain-less. Well, not quite.
Stainless steel is stain resistant, but it is not stain-proof. That said, it is still an amazing metal with the ability to develop its own protective outer layer, known as the passive layer.
This protective passive layer naturally protects against corrosion and forms when the newly made stainless steel surgical instruments are first exposed to air and the chromium and iron in the metal become oxidized.
The natural passive layer of the stainless steel can be made thicker by treating instrument parts with chemicals that remove some of the iron but leave the chromium behind; a process called chromium enrichment.
Amazingly, if scratched, the passive layer can effectively heal itself, so long as the damaged area is left exposed to air. However, this will not happen if the scratch is covered by soil or attacked by aggressive chemicals. If this happens then stains, spots and even corrosion can start to occur.
The key is to be aware of how to avoid damage to the passive layer in the first place, so here are a few important risks to watch out for:
Residue in reusable instrument wraps – if an alkaline or acidic residue is left in instrument wraps after cleaning, this can transfer onto the instruments, causing them to become stained and corroded. As such, the cleaning process should be checked to ensure all residue is removed.
Flash sterilization – this should only be used in exceptional circumstances as rapid temperature changes can also damage the passive layer.
Ammonia/amines – if these are present they can cause a purplish black stain. If this happens, clean the autoclave steam lines as per sterilizer instructions.
In many cases, as with ammonia, the distinctive colour of the stains on an instrument can be a strong indicator as to what is causing the discolouration. This can help to quickly identify the problem and avoid further staining and corrosion. To help you do this, just see our infographic which links specific colours to possible causes.