Allis clamp

{{Short description|Surgical instrument}}

Image:Allis clamp 01.JPG

An Allis clamp (also called the Allis forceps) is a commonly used surgical instrument. It was invented by Oscar Allis a renowned American surgeon, from 1883. He designed them specifically for use in abdominal surgeries, and they are now a used in many surgical procedures due to their versatility.

• The Allis clamp is a surgical instrument with sharp teeth, used to hold or grasp heavy tissue. It is also used to grasp fascia and soft tissues such as breast or bowel tissue.{{cite journal |last1= Yap |first1= L.H. |last2= Ahmad |first2= T.|date= 2001|title= Allis forceps: notes on the inventor|journal= British Journal of Plastic Surgery|volume= 54|issue= 6|pages= 561|doi= 10.1054/bjps.2001.3641|pmid= 11513536 |doi-access= free}} Allis clamps can cause damage, so they are often used in tissue about to be removed.
• When used to grasp the cervix to stabilize the uterus, such as when an intrauterine device is being inserted, an Allis clamp has the advantage of causing less bleeding than the more commonly used tenaculum (sin. Pozzi forceps).{{cite journal |last1= Johnson |first1= Lee |last2= Johnson |first2= Isaiah|date= May 2015|title= Allis Compared With Tenaculum for Stabilization of the Cervix During IUD Placement: A Randomized Controlled Trial|journal= Obstetrics & Gynecology|doi= 10.1097/01.AOG.0000463550.01588.fd|s2cid= 75524772 }}[http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/Abstract/2015/05001/Allis_Compared_With_Tenaculum_for_Stabilization_of.20.aspx]