Needle Holders

Needle holders or needle guides are specialized hemostatic tools used to hold needles during surgical procedures. Specifically, needle holders aid in stitching by holding the needle firmly. Needle holders operate with a mechanism of built-in clamps that secure the needle in place. Being specialized forceps, the elements of a typical needle holder are the jaws (often reinforced with tungsten carbide inserts) and the handle (usually with rings at the end).

Most surgical needle guides also have a ratchet mechanism, which locks the handles together and clamps the needle firmly between the jaws. At the same time, it allows the user to maneuver the needle through various tissues without having to constantly press the handle. Needle holders are primarily designed to be gripped with fingers and palms like scissors. However, some are designed with a handle to allow finer, more precise movements. There are two main types of needle holders: the Mayo-Hegar and the Mathieu.

In Mayo-Hegar needle holders the side pressure of the arc releases the clamp mechanism. Whereas, on Mathieu needle holders the handles are squeezed past the locking point to open the needle guide.

Other types of needle holders are:

• Crile-wood needle holder: for stitching, made of Crile wood with a narrow round edge and cross pattern on the inner jaws, ideal for fine needles.
• Halsey needle holder: for stitching, for small serrated needle holder with the cross pattern on inner jaws.
• Castroviejo / Castro needle holder: for suturing and holding, with spring-loaded flat handle base, for anastomosis in microsurgery.
• Hegar needle holder: for suturing, with the serrated jaw, for tissue operations.
• Adson needle holder: for holding and clamping, for fine and straight needles, and with ring handles.
• Baumgartner needle holder: for suturing, with a straight guide and hard serrations, to hold large needles and dense suture material.
• Webster needle holder: for suturing with a small, thin needle base with cross serrations, for light needles during delicate surgeries.
• Rohrschneider needle holder: for suturing, with fine micro-clamps with serrations on the jaws, used in microsurgery.
• Brown needle holder: for suturing, with ratchet, ring with serrated blades, for holding fine needles in microsurgery.
• Derf needle holder: for sewing, with short and serrated jaws, for small needles.
• Olsen-Hegar needle holder: for stapling, with ratchet and integrated scissors, for stitches of intermediate weight.
• Crile-Murray needle holder: for stapling and holding, with straight, cross-shaped jaws, for medium-sized needles.
• Converse needle holder: for stitching and buttoning, with a light, serrated needle guide with short shanks.

Needle holders are used to guiding surgical needles during surgery. They are essential surgical tools that require proper care and proper handling. Mechanical deformation of the needle holder must be strictly avoided. In case the needle holders become blunt, then they should be changed and not used for purposes other than needle support and stapling. Surgical needle holders should be properly sterilized and cleaned before any surgical procedure

In our online store, you can find a wide variety of needle holders, made of stainless steel, in various lengths, such as Mayo-Hegar needle holders, Mathieu needle holders, Crile-wood needle holders, etc.