IUD removal forceps cover two different procedures, not one, and which instrument a clinic reaches for depends entirely on whether the strings are visible. Peak Surgicals supplies both patterns as coil-removing forceps: Coil Removing Tissue Forceps (PS-GS-0036, $19.80) and Coil Removing Forceps (PS-CRF-00196, $35.20), in German stainless steel, CE-marked and built under ISO 13485. Compare both patterns in the grid below.
Visible Strings or Missing Strings? The Instrument Changes
When the strings are visible, ring forceps for IUD removal are the instrument: the strings are grasped at the external os and steady outward traction brings the device down, with no intrauterine entry at all. That covers the large majority of removals and takes seconds in an office setting.
The problem case is the other one. Threads are not visible in roughly 4.5 to 18 percent of removals, and then the instrument has to enter the uterine cavity to find the device itself. That is what alligator-jaw forceps are for, opened and closed at progressive depths under ultrasound guidance until the stem or an arm is caught. Around 80 percent of these are still resolved in the office rather than theatre, which is the difference between a short appointment and a hysteroscopic procedure under anaesthesia. A clinic stocking one pattern and not the other is stocking for the easy case only.
Jaw Geometry and Why These Forceps Don't Lock
Jaw geometry follows that split. A string-grasping jaw is serrated and rounded so it holds fine monofilament without cutting it, and the working length only needs to reach the cervical os. A retrieval jaw is narrower and hinged at the tip so it can open inside the cavity where there is no room to open a full-length jaw, and the shaft has to be long enough to reach the fundus.
Both patterns are non-locking. This is deliberate and it matters: a ratchet would hold grip strength the operator has not chosen, and inside the uterus the requirement is to feel purchase and release it instantly if the tissue rather than the device has been caught. Blind manipulation carries a perforation risk, so the instrument is built to give up its grip rather than keep it.
Material, Reprocessing and Certification
Both patterns are forged from German stainless steel and passivated for corrosion resistance across repeated cycles. The inspection point is the jaw tip and the hinge: check the serrations under light for flattening that would let a monofilament string slip, open and close the jaws to confirm the hinge moves freely with no lateral play, and check the tips meet cleanly with no gap. Clean immediately with a neutral-pH enzymatic solution, brushing into the hinge and serrations, then rinse with deionised water and dry fully before autoclaving at 134°C.
These are Class I reusable devices, CE marked and built under ISO 13485, with a one-year manufacturing warranty. We ship at MOQ 1 with free shipping over $99, and OEM production is available for distributors. Complete the tray with our Tenaculum Forceps and Vaginal Specula, or browse all Gynecology Instruments. Talk to us about OEM terms.
