Types of Hemostats: Names, Uses & Selection Guide
Hemostats are widely used locking instruments on surgical trays, and the different types of hemostats are separated by details that are easy to miss at a glance: where the serrations sit on the jaw, whether the tip carries teeth, and how heavy the build is. This guide covers the common hemostat patterns by name, explains what each is used for, and sets out how to choose between them.
What Are Hemostats?
A hemostat, also called a hemostatic forceps, is a locking surgical instrument designed to clamp blood vessels and temporarily control bleeding during surgical procedures. It is held like a pair of scissors but works nothing like one: instead of cutting, the jaws close on a vessel and stay closed, held by a ratchet rather than by the surgeon’s hand.
The instrument has six working parts. The finger rings take the thumb and ring finger. The shanks run from the rings to the joint and provide leverage. The box lock is the hinge, with one shank passing through a slot in the other, which keeps the jaws aligned under load. The ratchet sits on the shanks just below the rings and engages in steps, so the surgeon can set how firmly the jaws close. The jaws do the clamping, and their serrations give the grip that stops a clamped vessel sliding free.
Hemostats are made in straight and curved forms and in a range of lengths and jaw weights. Those variations are what separate one named pattern from another.
What Are Hemostats Used For?
The primary use is temporary vessel clamping. A bleeding vessel is clamped closed, the ratchet holds it, and the vessel is then ligated, cauterized or released once bleeding is controlled. Because the ratchet does the holding, the surgeon’s hand is free and the instrument can be left in place while the next step is carried out.
They may also be used for temporary tissue grasping, pedicle control and blunt dissection where the specific pattern and procedure make this appropriate. Some patterns are also used to retrieve small items from a surgical field.
What matters is that these uses are not interchangeable across patterns. A fine mosquito hemostat and a heavy Carmalt are both hemostats, but putting either in the other’s place will either damage the instrument or fail to hold. Jaw weight, serration type and length all narrow what a given pattern is suited to.
Hemostatic Instruments vs Topical Hemostatic Agents
The word “hemostat” is used for two different things in surgery, which is worth clearing up before going further.
This article is about hemostatic instruments — the reusable stainless steel clamps described above. The same word is also used for topical hemostatic agents, which are biomaterials applied directly to a bleeding surface. Those are usually grouped as mechanical, active, flowable and fibrin sealant agents, and they are single-use consumables rather than instruments.
Both control bleeding, but they are separate product categories with separate handling, and a search for “hemostats” will return both. Everything below refers to instruments.
Common Types of Hemostats and Their Uses
The patterns below cover most general surgical requirements. They are grouped by jaw design rather than by specialty, because that is what actually determines which one suits a given step.
Kelly Hemostats
The Kelly is a mid-size general-purpose pattern. Its defining feature is partial serration: the transverse serrations run along the distal portion of the jaw rather than its full length. The proximal part of the jaw is smooth.
That partial serration is the single detail that distinguishes a Kelly from a Crile, since the two are otherwise close in length and build. Kellys are supplied in both straight and curved forms, with the curved version used where the jaw needs to reach around a structure. They suit general haemostatic work on vessels that do not call for either a fine pattern or a heavy one.
Browse the Kelly Artery Forceps at Peak Surgicals.
Crile Hemostats
The Crile belongs to the same size class as the Kelly and is used in much the same situations. The difference is the serration: a Crile carries transverse serrations along the full working length of the jaw, not just the distal portion.
In practice that means the Crile distributes its grip evenly across whatever sits between the jaws, while the Kelly concentrates grip toward the tip. Neither is better in general terms; which one suits depends on whether you want even hold along the jaw or a firmer tip. Crile forceps are also available straight and curved, and many trays carry both patterns alongside each other precisely because the serration difference gives two options at the same size.
Browse the Crile Forceps at Peak Surgicals.
Halsted Mosquito Hemostats
Mosquito hemostats are the fine patterns in this family. The Halsted Mosquito is noticeably smaller and lighter than a Kelly or Crile, with slim jaws carrying fine serrations, and it is built for small vessels and delicate tissue where a smaller, finer jaw provides more appropriate control than a heavier pattern.
The size difference is the point. In shallow subcutaneous tissue, where the bleeder is small and the surrounding structures are close, a mosquito gives control that a mid-size pattern cannot. They are supplied straight and curved. The Jacobson Mosquito is another fine pattern in the same class, and is worth considering where an even more delicate instrument is required.
Browse the Halsted Mosquito Forceps at Peak Surgicals.
Pean Hemostats
The Pean is a heavier pattern with transverse serrations running the length of the jaw. The build is more substantial than a Kelly or Crile, which suits larger vessels and tissue bundles that need more clamping force than a mid-size instrument delivers.
Peak also lists a Pean Micro variant for finer work, so the Pean name covers a range rather than a single weight. When specifying, check the length and jaw weight rather than relying on the pattern name alone.
Browse the Pean Artery Forceps at Peak Surgicals.
Carmalt Hemostats
The Carmalt is the pattern to reach for when a tissue bundle would otherwise slide out of the jaw. Its serrations run longitudinally — along the jaw rather than across it — and the tip carries cross serrations. That combination is commonly used for secure pedicle clamping, where the mass being held is thicker than a single vessel and the force pulling it out of the jaw runs lengthwise.
It is a heavier instrument than the mid-size patterns, and the longitudinal serration is unusual enough that a Carmalt is easy to identify on a tray once you know what to look for.
Browse the Carmalt Artery Forceps at Peak Surgicals.
Kocher and Ochsner Hemostats
The Kocher is the toothed pattern in this group. In addition to jaw serrations it carries interlocking teeth at the tip. The toothed tip provides a firmer hold on dense tissue, but it is more traumatic than non-toothed patterns and should be selected according to the tissue and procedure.
The Ochsner is a closely related toothed pattern, and many catalogues treat the two names as referring to the same instrument. Jaw length and tooth configuration can differ between manufacturers, so it is worth confirming the specification rather than assuming the two are always identical.
Browse the Kocher Artery Forceps at Peak Surgicals.
Other Hemostatic Patterns
Several further patterns fill gaps between the ones above. Rankin and Coller are additional artery forceps patterns used in general haemostatic work. Meeker is a heavier pattern suited to substantial tissue. Providence Hospital forceps are a fine artery pattern. Pratt Smith hemostatic forceps serve fine haemostasis, and the Jacobson Mosquito mentioned earlier sits alongside the Halsted in the delicate class.
Types of Hemostats With Pictures
The table below summarises the patterns covered above by their defining jaw design and relative build. Use it as a quick reference when specifying; the sections above give the reasoning behind each.
| Hemostat | Key Design | Relative Build | Common Selection Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly | Partial / distal serration | Medium | General haemostatic applications |
| Crile | Full jaw serration | Medium | General haemostatic applications |
| Halsted Mosquito | Fine jaws, fine serration | Small / delicate | Smaller vessels, delicate tissue |
| Pean | Transverse serration | Heavier | Heavier clamping |
| Carmalt | Longitudinal serration, cross-serrated tip | Heavier | Pedicle clamping |
| Kocher / Ochsner | Toothed tip | Firm-grip pattern | Dense tissue applications |
Straight vs Curved Hemostats
Almost every pattern above is supplied in both straight and curved forms. The choice is about access rather than quality.
Straight Hemostats
Straight hemostats have jaws in line with the shanks. They suit direct access, where the target is superficial and visible and the approach runs straight in from above. In a shallow field a straight jaw is the simplest thing to place accurately, because what you see is what you clamp with no allowance for angle.
Curved Hemostats
Curved hemostats have jaws that bend away from the line of the shanks. That curve lets the tip pass around a structure instead of straight at it, and it keeps the handle and the surgeon’s hand out of the line of sight. In deeper or more confined fields the curve is often what makes the tip visible at the moment of clamping.
Neither form is universally preferable. The field and the approach decide which one suits a given step.
How Locking Hemostats Work
The locking mechanism is what makes a hemostat a hemostat rather than a non-locking instrument, so it is worth understanding in detail.
Working from the handles forward: the finger rings take the thumb and ring finger and give the surgeon control of the instrument. The ratchet sits on the inner face of the shanks just below the rings, as two opposing sets of interlocking teeth. As the handles are squeezed together, the ratchet teeth pass over each other and engage, step by step. Each step holds the jaws at a fixed closure, so the surgeon sets the clamping force by how far the handles are closed and the instrument holds it without further hand pressure. Releasing is a matter of moving the rings laterally past each other so the teeth disengage.
The shanks transmit force from the rings to the joint. The box lock is the joint itself: one shank passes through a slot machined in the other. That construction keeps the jaws aligned under load. The jaws then close on the vessel, and the serrations and any tip teeth provide the grip.
Two things are worth checking on any locking hemostat in use: that the ratchet engages and releases smoothly at each step, and that the box lock operates without excessive lateral play. Instruments should be inspected according to the manufacturer’s instructions for use and facility protocol.
Hemostats vs Forceps: What Is the Difference?
A hemostat is a type of forceps; “forceps” is the broader instrument category. The two words are often used as though they described different instruments, which causes confusion when specifying.
Forceps covers every two-armed instrument used to grasp, hold, clamp or dissect — including thumb forceps, tissue forceps, dressing forceps and clamping patterns. Hemostatic forceps are the subset built to clamp and lock, with ring handles and a ratchet. That is why Kelly, Crile and mosquito instruments are correctly called both hemostats and forceps.
| Feature | Hemostats | General Forceps |
|---|---|---|
| Category | A type of surgical forceps | Broad instrument family |
| Locking | Usually ratcheted | May be locking or non-locking |
| Main design goal | Clamping, depending on pattern | Grasping, holding, dissecting, clamping |
| Handles | Commonly ring-handled | Ring or thumb style |
| Examples | Kelly, Crile, Mosquito | Allis, Babcock, dressing forceps |
For the wider category, see our Surgical Forceps range.
Kelly vs Crile vs Mosquito Hemostats
These three account for a large share of the hemostats on a general tray, and they are the three most often confused. The distinctions are straightforward once the two variables are separated: size and serration.
Kelly and Crile differ by serration, not size. Both are mid-size. The Kelly carries serrations on the distal portion of the jaw; the Crile carries them along the full working length. Mosquito differs from both by size, not serration. It is the smaller, finer pattern, built for small vessels and delicate tissue rather than general work.
| Feature | Kelly | Crile | Mosquito |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relative size | Medium | Medium | Smaller |
| Serration | Commonly distal portion | Typically full working jaw | Fine serrations |
| Straight / curved | Both | Both | Both |
| Build | Standard | Standard | Delicate |
| Selection | General | General | Smaller, finer vessels |
How to Choose the Right Hemostat
Selection is easier if the variables are taken in order rather than all at once.
Vessel or Tissue Size
This sets the jaw. A small subcutaneous bleeder calls for a mosquito; a mid-size vessel for a Kelly or Crile; a substantial bundle for a Pean or Meeker; a pedicle for a Carmalt. Getting this wrong in either direction causes problems: too heavy a jaw on fine tissue, or too light a jaw on a bundle it cannot hold.
Jaw Serration
Transverse serrations along the full jaw distribute hold evenly. Partial serration concentrates grip toward the tip. Longitudinal serration resists a pedicle sliding lengthwise out of the jaw. Match the serration to what the tissue will try to do under load.
Straight or Curved
Straight for direct, superficial, visible access. Curved where the tip has to reach around a structure or where the handle would otherwise block the view.
Instrument Length
Length should follow the depth of the field. A long instrument in a shallow wound is awkward; a short one in a deep cavity gives no reach and poor control.
Toothed or Non-Toothed
Toothed patterns such as the Kocher hold dense tissue that serrations alone will not. They are more traumatic, so they are chosen where the extra grip is needed rather than as a default.
Working Depth and Access
Consider how the instrument will sit once placed. A hemostat left clamped during the next step should not obstruct the field or the surgeon’s hands.
Specialty and Procedure Requirements
Different specialties weight these variables differently, and specific procedures often have established pattern preferences. Build the tray around the procedures actually performed.
For hospitals and distributors, standardising on a defined set of patterns, lengths and jaw configurations makes repeat ordering and tray consistency considerably simpler than ordering against ad hoc requests.
Stainless Steel Hemostats: Construction and Inspection
Peak Surgicals manufactures its hemostatic forceps from German stainless steel. The instruments are CE marked and built under ISO 13485.
Construction quality on a hemostat shows in a few specific places, and they are the same places to check during routine inspection.
The box lock should move freely without lateral play. Play at the joint means the jaws are no longer holding alignment, and a hemostat whose jaws do not meet squarely will not grip reliably no matter how good the serrations are. The jaws should meet along their full contact face when closed; hold the instrument up to the light with the ratchet engaged and check for a gap. The ratchet should engage cleanly at each step and release without forcing. Serrations should be sharply defined rather than worn smooth. Worn serrations can reduce grip and should be identified during inspection. The surface finish should be free of pitting, staining and corrosion, and the instrument should be checked for any surface damage at each reprocessing cycle.
Cleaning, Inspection and Sterilization
Hemostats are reusable instruments and their service life depends heavily on how they are reprocessed.
Clean promptly after use. Blood and protein residue set quickly in the box lock and between jaw serrations, and once dried they are considerably harder to remove. The instrument should be cleaned in the open position so that the box lock and the full length of the jaw serrations are reached, and the ratchet worked through its travel during cleaning where the instructions for use require it.
Inspect after cleaning and before sterilization, checking the points listed in the previous section. Dry thoroughly before packing, since retained moisture contributes to staining and corrosion.
Sterilization cycle parameters should follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use and your facility’s validated protocol. Peak Surgicals instruments are supplied non-sterile and must be cleaned and sterilized before clinical use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are hemostats?
A hemostat, or hemostatic forceps, is a locking surgical instrument used to clamp blood vessels and temporarily control bleeding. It has ring handles, a box lock joint, a ratchet that holds the jaws closed, and serrated jaws that grip what is clamped.
What are hemostats used for?
Primarily for temporary vessel clamping to control bleeding. They may also be used for temporary tissue grasping, pedicle control and blunt dissection where the pattern and procedure make this appropriate.
What is the difference between hemostats and forceps?
A hemostat is a type of forceps. “Forceps” is the broad category covering all two-armed grasping, holding, clamping and dissecting instruments; hemostatic forceps are the ratcheted, ring-handled clamping subset.
What is the difference between Kelly and Crile hemostats?
Serration placement. Both are mid-size patterns. The Crile has serrations along the full working jaw, while the Kelly commonly has serrations on the distal portion.
What is the difference between Kelly and mosquito hemostats?
Size and build. A mosquito hemostat is smaller and finer than a Kelly, with slimmer jaws for small vessels and delicate tissue. A Kelly is a mid-size general pattern.
Are hemostats available straight and curved?
Yes. Most patterns, including Kelly, Crile, mosquito, Pean and Carmalt, are supplied in both. Straight suits direct superficial access; curved lets the tip reach around a structure and keeps the handle clear of the line of sight.
How do locking hemostats work?
Two opposing sets of ratchet teeth sit on the shanks below the finger rings. Squeezing the handles engages them step by step, holding the jaws at a set closure without hand pressure. Moving the rings laterally past each other disengages the teeth and releases.
How should reusable hemostats be cleaned and sterilized?
Clean promptly after use, in the open position, so the box lock and jaw serrations are reached. Inspect the jaws, box lock, ratchet and serrations before sterilization, then dry thoroughly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use and your facility’s validated protocol for cycle parameters.
Explore Hemostats at Peak Surgicals
Peak Surgicals supplies the patterns covered in this guide — Kelly, Crile, Halsted mosquito, Pean, Carmalt, Kocher and Ochsner among others — in straight and curved forms. All are manufactured from German stainless steel and are CE marked and built under ISO 13485. Instruments are supplied non-sterile and must be reprocessed according to a validated protocol before clinical use.
Browse the full Hemostats & Hemostatic Forceps range, the wider Surgical Forceps category, or the complete Surgical Instruments catalogue.