scissors [L, scindere, to cut] , a sharp instrument composed of two opposing cutting blades held together by a central pin on which the blades pivot. The most common dissecting scissors are the straight Mayo scissors, for cutting sutures; the Snowden-Pencer scissors, for deep, delicate tissue; the long curved Mayo scissors, for deep, heavy, or tough tissue; the short curved Metzenbaum scissors, for superficial, delicate tissue; and the long, blunt curved Metzenbaum scissors, for deep, delicate tissue.
