General Surgical Company is India's leading Chennai based, Surgical Instruments provider with high quality and reliable Surgical instruments. Some of its Products category are ENT-Oral, ENT-Otology, ENT-Rhinology, ENT-Sinus, Equipments, General, Neuro, Spine, Ortho, Spine Implants

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PROBLEMS IN MAINTENANCE OF STAINLESS STEEL SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS

Corrosion of Stainless Steel Surgical Instruments is a common problem both to the Surgeon and the Instrument Maker. The blame is likely to fall on the Instrument Maker. There is a need for an explanation in regard to the grade of Stainless Steel used to make Surgical Instruments.
Also a question that always arises is as to why Stainless Steel should rust under any circumstance. We wish to explain below the causes, which make rust or corrosion occur on any Surgical Instrument.

A wide range of Metallurgical properties are constituted in one single classification of the metal called Stainless Steel. It has Iron & Chromium, but also may have Carbon, Nickel, Sulfur, Tungsten, Manganese and many other elements. But it is Chromium, which imparts the Stainless Steel quality. Hence the more Chromium is present in the Alloy the more resistant it is to corrosion. Carbon reduces this effect of Chromium. But it is necessary to harden the Instrument. Hardness is a primary requirement in Instruments, which have sharp edges, and for all kinds, which have to perform the application for which, they are meant for. For example, to cut, to hold, to open, to close etc. It is an unhappy circumstance that there are only a few Stainless Steel Alloys, which can be hardened sufficiently to manufacture any type of Surgical Instrument. These Alloys are high in Carbon content. They belong to the broad class known as Stainless Steel and are the least corrosion resistant in the group of metals. This problem is not evident on Stainless Steel Surgical Implants as they do not require hardening and are made of Alloys with zero Carbon content.

The next type of corrosion, which is commonly seen on the Surgical Instruments, is that which takes place on the blades of knives, in box locks, between blades of scissors etc. In these cases the Instruments may become useless. The main causes for these kinds of corrosion are as follows.

Inadequate cleaning & drying immediately after use. Any foreign material either organic or inorganic on the surface of any hardened Surgical Instrument is likely to promote corrosion. Instruments, which have been exposed to Blood, Tissue, Saline & Other Foreign matter have to be rinsed in, warm water before they are dried. Instruments can corrode if they are stored v/with trapped moisture. We recommend Ultrasonic cleaning to clean Instruments.

Autoclaving. Corrosion can take place if the autoclave is not functioning properly. Autoclaves in which, large amount of corrosion takes place have to be checked immediately for leaking valves. Such Autoclaves may not be drying the Instruments adequately or may be drawing corrosive matter back from the drain. Cloth used to wrap Instruments to be autoclaved may contain residual detergents, bleaches or starch. These can promote corrosion at the operating temperature of the autoclave.

Water. Corrosion can take place if tap water is used instead of distilled water to generate steam. Because tap water contains minerals which may cause discoloration and staining on the surface of the Instruments. When corrosion does occur in Surgical Instruments, it is usually of a superficial nature. This could be avoided by carefully adhering to the manufacturers guidance on maintenance of Surgical Instruments. In some cases the corrosion can be removed by repolishing the Instrument by the manufacturer.

Instruments used in surgery are the products of a few highly skilled craftsmen. At their best, they not only reflect craftsmanship but a high decree of artistic ability in design. When such Instruments are given the very special care, which they deserve, they will retain their workmanship and function well for long.