(About Curettes)
Instrument usage: Curettes are used to remove soft tissue or bone by scraping with the loop, ring, or scoop at the end of the instrument.1 Curettes come in many different shapes and sizes depending upon their use and the needed size for the patient. They can be sharp or blunt,2 and reusable or disposable. They can also be straight or angled in order to get into small spaces. Curettes are used in many surgical services, including gynecology, orthopedics, general surgery, neuro surgery, and nasal surgery.
Key differences:
The tip of the instrument should be examined to determine what type of curette it is. Also, the instrument can be numbered with incremental sizes of curettes. It is important to look at the shaft of the curette to confirm the imprinted number.
Tissue curettes commonly have a scoop shape so that they can be used to scrape tissue or bone. They look like a spoon that comes in different tip sizes and lengths.
Uterine curettes commonly have a ring or a loop that can be sharp or dull to scrape the lining of the uterus.
Disposable curettes, such as a suction curette, come in different sizes and shapes and are disposed of after the procedure.
Safety on the sterile field:
Curettes should be organized in size order on the sterile field.
The curette should be wiped with sterile water and any debris should be saved as a specimen for pathology.
When passing a curette during the procedure, it should be clean and free of any debris in the tip of the curette. It cannot be effective to remove tissue or bone if the tip has any debris in it.
If the tip of the curette is sharp, it should handled carefully on the sterile field and team members should avoid touching the tip of the instrument.
Instrument names:
Curettes are commonly called by their name and intended use, such as “bone curette” or “uterine curette.” The surgeon may designate it by the number (ie, the size of the curette), such as “number 4 curette.”
References:
1. Phillips, Nancymarie. Berry & Kohn's operating room technique. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2016.
2. Rothrock, Jane C. Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2018.