Sklar Smellie Obstetrical Hook, 13 Inch
A 13 inch obstetrical hook used by obstetricians to assist in specific complicated deliveries requiring targeted traction on fetal structures.
The Sklar Smellie Obstetrical Hook is a specialised instrument historically used in obstetrics to apply targeted traction during a difficult delivery. At thirteen inches overall, it gives the obstetrician the reach needed to work within the pelvis while keeping the operating hand at a safe distance from the delivery field.
Instruments of this type are kept in obstetric emergency equipment on labour and delivery units and are used only by senior obstetricians in specific, uncommon clinical situations where standard delivery techniques are not applicable. Its use requires dedicated training given the direct and consequential contact with fetal tissue.
As a reusable stainless steel surgical instrument, it is cleaned, inspected and steam sterilized between uses following the maternity unit's standard reprocessing protocol, and is generally stored separately from routine delivery instruments given how infrequently it is called upon.
