Stainless steel is an alloy, which does exactly what its name implies: stains less than ordinary steel (iron). Yes, it can stain, discolor and rust, given the right circumstances. To make iron stainless, nickel and chromium are added in certain quantities, depending on the purpose it is being used for and the qualities required. The more chromium added to the mix, the softer the alloy becomes, something not desirable in a surgical instrument. Given that, quality medical stainless steel alloy is of a very specific, narrowly defined mix. A further aspect of making steel stainless is a repeated process of extracting surface impurities, mainly minerals. And the final high polish of the finished instrument puts a minute protective coating on it, also very important to make the instrument “stain less”. Whether the final product is highly polished or mat finished will make no difference in its stainless ability.

Never remove the final polishing film by rubbing or sanding. Never leave it in tap water for any length of time. Acidic or alkaline pH will remove chromium oxide and chlorite ions will cause pitting. Copper, iron and manganese will cause brown and blue rainbow effects. Distilled water with a neutral ph can be used sparingly. Rubbing the instrument with Surgical Instrument Oil, (also called Instrument Milk) and putting a drop of it between overlapping surfaces, will aid in keeping your surgical instrument for years to come.

Saline solutions are very hard on stainless steel instruments. Rinsing them in acetone immediately after every use will help. Keeping them immersed in instrument milk when not in use is recommended. But salt water will eventually take its toll. Therefore consider buying titanium instruments.

If you must use your surgical instrument in a corrosive environment, or you need a completely non-magnetic instrument, or it has to tolerate heat of up to 440 C or 824 F, an instrument made from titanium alloy can be your answer. Other benefits are: 40% lighter than stainless steel; better strength to weight ratio than stainless steel; better flexibility than stainless steel; it exhibits bactericidal and non-allergenic properties, Consider that it will wear down faster than stainless steel.

This depends on how sterile your protocol requires them to be. First rinse in pH neutral distilled water and remove blood and debris. Use a fresh neutral pH solvent and then a soft brush for the tough cleaning. If you steam autoclave, make sure that you use manufacturer’s instructions for your autoclave (clean neutral pH distilled water), and that your high quality instruments are not mixed with instruments of inferior quality. Impurities from the lower quality instrument can start a corrosive action on your good ones. Be sure that the full drying cycle is used. Overlapping joints may have dampness within the joint, increasing the chance of corrosion. This can be prevented in three ways: assure the full drying cycle is complete, apply silicone grease inside the joint as a protective layer, or by use of an air canister or hair dryer to blow moisture out of overlapping parts. Instruments can also be cleaned ultrasonically but must be immediately rinsed and dried. It has been our experience that the longest lasting instruments are typically the ones soaked in 70% ethanol before and after use, then rinsed and dried.

High quality surgical instruments are handmade which can lead to some minor variations in the dimensions of instruments, particularly between manufacturing sets. This is sometimes noticeable in the finest spring scissors and the tips in Dumont forceps.