Care of Micro Surgical Instruments

Recommended Care of Micro Surgical Instruments

1. Manual Cleaning
• Immediately rinse the instruments with distilled water after use to remove blood, saline, tissue and
other deposits that may stain the instruments.
• Use a soft brush with mild soap for cleaning.
• Wash the instruments thoroughly with distilled water and dry the instrument with hot air or with a soft
lint free cloth. While using a cloth for drying be very careful as the tips can be damaged by contact.

2. Ultrasound Cleaning
• Ultrasonic cleaning is the best method of cleaning micro surgical instruments. Regular cleaning of the
instruments with an ultrasonic cleaner will increase the life of the instruments.
• Strictly follow the instructions of the manufacturer of your ultrasonic cleaner and use only the
recommended solution for cleaning.
• Do not allow the instruments to touch one another in the ultrasonic cleaner.
• Wash the instruments thoroughly with distilled water and dry the instruments with hot air or with a
soft lint free cloth. While using a cloth for drying be very careful as the tips can be damaged by
contact.

3. Sterilization - Micro surgical instruments can be sterilized by the following methods: Autoclave, Dry
Heat, Gas, Dry Chemical, Boil.
• Whichever sterilization method is used, strictly follow the instructions of the sterilizing unit
manufacturer.
• Clean your instruments thoroughly before sterilization as sterilization is not a cleaning method.
• Instruments not required for surgery should not be sterilized, as sterilization reduces the life of
instruments.
• Regularly inspect the internal parts of your sterilizer for rust, as rust can damage your instruments
while sterilizing.
• Do not allow instruments to touch one another in the sterilizer.
• Do not allow instruments to overheat or be kept in the sterilizer for a long period of time as this will
damage the instruments.

4. Inspection
• Inspect your micro surgical instruments regularly under a microscope for damage.
• Do not use damaged instruments for surgery.

5. Lubrication
• Regularly lubricate the joints and locks of the instruments with high grade lubricant.

6. Storage
• Clean the instruments thoroughly before storing.
• Store the instruments in a dry place.
• Always protect the tips of the instruments with soft silicone tubing before storing.
• Do not allow the instruments to move or touch one another when stored.
• Use trays with soft silicon mats for storing the instruments.
• All delicate instruments, such as diamond knife, etc. should be stored separately.