Sklar Merit Castroviejo Needle Holder, Straight
A Sklar Merit Castroviejo needle holder, 5-1/2 inches, straight with a catch, used to grip and drive fine suture needles during ophthalmic microsurgery.
The Castroviejo needle holder is a fine, spring handled instrument designed for the small, precise needle movements required in ophthalmic and other microsurgical procedures, where a standard sized needle holder would be too bulky or imprecise. This Sklar Merit version measures 5-1/2 inches, is straight, and includes a catch mechanism that locks the jaws closed on the needle, letting the surgeon set it down briefly without the jaws reopening.
Instruments of this design are used by ophthalmic and microsurgeons wherever fine gauge suture and small curved needles are used, such as in corneal, cataract and other anterior segment procedures. Its light, spring action handle allows delicate, controlled opening and closing that suits the small scale of the tissue being sutured.
It should be cleaned and sterilised between uses following standard ophthalmic instrument reprocessing protocols, with particular care to protect its fine jaw tips.
