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Hemostatic forceps are surgical clamping instruments used to hold tissue or temporarily control bleeding from blood vessels. They are also called hemostats, artery forceps, or clamps. Most have finger-ring handles, jaws, and a locking ratchet that holds the clamp closed. They are used by trained clinicians during surgery, procedures, wound care, and some emergency settings.
read more about hemostatic forceps ...Hemostatic forceps are used to clamp small blood vessels, grasp tissue, hold sutures, or secure materials during procedures. They help keep the surgical field clearer while the clinician seals, ties, cauterizes, or repairs the bleeding source. They are not a substitute for definitive bleeding control when a vessel needs ligation, cautery, or repair. The exact use depends on the procedure and the tissue being handled.
Common types include mosquito, Kelly, Crile, Rochester, and Pean forceps. Smaller mosquito forceps are often used for delicate tissue or small vessels, while larger clamps can handle heavier tissue or larger vessels. Jaws may be straight, curved, serrated, or designed for specific surgical tasks. The clinician chooses the instrument based on vessel size, tissue depth, and access to the area.
The clinician places the jaws around the tissue or vessel that needs to be controlled. The ratchet lock can hold the forceps closed without constant hand pressure. Once bleeding is controlled, the clinician may tie off the vessel, apply cautery, remove tissue, or continue dissection. Forceps should be released carefully to avoid tearing tissue or restarting bleeding.
Hemostatic forceps must be clean, functional, and sterile for surgical use. Damaged jaws, loose hinges, or poor ratchets can crush tissue unevenly or fail during a procedure. Reusable forceps require proper cleaning, inspection, and sterilization between patients. They should not be used for nonmedical tasks that can damage alignment or contaminate the instrument.
No. Hemostatic forceps are designed to clamp and lock, while many regular forceps are used for grasping without a ratchet lock.
The ratchet lock helps hold tissue or a vessel in place without constant hand pressure. This can free the clinician’s hands during the next step of the procedure.
They usually provide temporary control. Permanent control may require tying, sealing, cauterizing, suturing, or repairing the bleeding source.
Many are reusable if they are designed for reprocessing and sterilized correctly. Single-use forceps should be discarded after use.
21 CFR 878.4800 -- Manual surgical instrument for general use. eCFR. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-878/subpart-E/section-878.4800. Date Accessed June 15, 2026.
Forceps, general & plastic surgery - Product Classification. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPCD/classification.cfm?ID=GEN. Date Accessed June 15, 2026.
The history and evolution of surgical instruments. X clamps, haemostats and related pivot-controlled forceps. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2503327/. Date Accessed June 15, 2026.
Lab 1. Part 5 - Hemostatic Forceps. University of Saskatchewan. https://wcvm.usask.ca/vsac205/Lab1/hemostatic-forceps.php. Date Accessed June 15, 2026.
Sterilizing Practices. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-sterilization/sterilizing-practices.html. Date Accessed June 15, 2026.