Surgical Instruments

Surgeons use many tools, called surgical instruments, to operate on a patient, in an operating room (O.R.). A typical OR at a hospital looks like this.
 
It includes bright lights, a table that can be tilted any way, monitors that show a camera above the patient, and an instrument tray, with various doctors and nurses working. A scalpel is used to cut, into the skin, blood vessels, etc.
 

Scissors are used to cut, like scissors are meant to be used. They can be used to cut through muscle, wires, umbilical cords, etc.
 
Clamps are used to apply pressure and cut off circulation. This is an aortic cross-clamp.

Rib spreaders are used to separate the ribs at the sternum after cutting it, for an open heart surgery.
Retractors are used to widen the incision so the surgeon can further manipulate or see into the internal organs. These are Roux retractors.


Those are only some of the equipment and instruments used by surgeons. There are much more that aren't listed here.