Mayo Scissors
Mayo-pattern scissors are comparatively heavy cutting instruments available in straight and curved models. Surgeons select them for dense tissue such as fascia and for cutting materials. The exact role depends on the model and local instrument allocation. A 2026 descriptive UK/US oral-maxillofacial comparison found Mayo and Metzenbaum scissors in a small shared instrument core.[1][4]
Design
- Blades: generally heavier than delicate Metzenbaum or Iris models; tip shape and edge construction vary. A blunt tip does not eliminate injury risk.[4][5]
- Blade-to-handle proportions: Mayo patterns generally have a more substantial blade relative to the handle than fine Metzenbaum patterns; the exact ratio varies by model.
- Configurations:
- Length: manufacturer catalog examples include 14.5, 17 and 23 cm, with longer specialty models; 17 cm is one common catalog size, not a universal daily standard.[5]
- Material: surgical-grade stainless steel.
Reconstructive-Urology and Urogyn Uses
Curved Mayo — tissue cutting
Examples of denser-tissue or material work where a suitably sized Mayo model may be chosen include:
- Rectus fascia and external-oblique aponeurosis. Division and trim during open BNR, augmentation, urinary diversion, AUS pump-pouch incisions, and re-do laparotomies.
- Fascial-sling harvest. Rectus-fascia / fascia-lata strip cutting for pubovaginal-sling harvest.
- Tunica vaginalis and dartos. Division during open hydrocelectomy, varicocelectomy, IPP / AUS scrotal exposure.
- Bovie-eschar trimming. Sharpening the cut edge after monopolar incision when a clean approximation is needed.
- Dense peri-vesical and retroperitoneal scar. Re-do pelvic exposure for re-do BNR, re-do AUS, re-do diversion.
- Mesh trimming. Cutting polypropylene or biologic mesh to size at the field.
- Bowel mesentery. Coarser mesenteric work during diversion / augmentation where a finer Metzenbaum slips off.
- Specimen division during partial cystectomy, partial nephrectomy, radical orchiectomy.
Straight Mayo — suture and material cutting
Straight Mayo models may be used for suture or material cutting when designated for that role:[4]
- Suture cutting during open reconstruction when this pair is designated for that task.
- Drain and tube trimming. Cutting Penrose, red-rubber, channel-drain, and Foley to length at the field.
- Dressing and packing material. Cutting Kerlix, gauze rolls, and vaginal packing strips.
- Skin-staple removal adjunct. Assisting with adhesive-strip cutting.
Separating material-cutting from tissue-dissecting scissors can preserve a tissue edge, but “straight Mayo is not for tissue” is too absolute: Sklar describes tissue as a possible use for its straight model. Follow the selected product instructions and the team's instrument-allocation policy.[4][6]
Blunt dissection
The closed tips of a curved Mayo can be used to spread tissue planes in coarse blunt dissection, but the Metzenbaum is the better instrument for fine planes. Reserve the Mayo for dense peri-fascial planes, mature scar, and adhesion takedown where the Metzenbaum would deflect.
Mayo vs Metzenbaum
The patterns are often paired because their typical tissue profiles differ. The cited comparison covers a small oral-maxillofacial instrument core, not pelvic outcomes.[1][6]
| Feature | Mayo | Metzenbaum |
|---|---|---|
| Blade thickness | Heavy, robust | Thin, delicate |
| Blade-to-handle proportions | Relatively substantial blades | Relatively short blades and longer shanks |
| Primary tissue | Fascia, muscle, dense connective tissue | Fat, areolar tissue, peritoneum, thin membranes |
| Dissection style | Coarser cut-and-divide | Fine sharp / blunt dissection |
| Non-tissue use | A designated Mayo may cut sutures/materials | Preserve a tissue-dedicated edge when possible; some model IFUs also permit sutures |
Care and Maintenance
- Allocate by intended task and model: a team may reserve one pair for materials and another for tissue to preserve a cutting edge; this is a useful practice, not a universal straight-versus-curved rule or quantified leading cause of wear.[4][6]
- Inspect the cutting edge before each case; a dulled Mayo crushes rather than cuts, and crushed fascia is harder to re-approximate cleanly.
- Sharpen or replace on a defined cycle; institutional sterile-processing programs typically replace scissors on a wear-driven schedule rather than time alone.
Historical Context
The Mayo name is associated with the Mayo Clinic's surgical tradition. Scanlan's company history attributes development of its original Mayo scissors to collaboration with William J. Mayo, while its broader history also names both brothers as early customers; the sources do not show that both designed every later Mayo pattern.[2][7] A review of cranial-neurosurgical instrument eponyms gives broader historical context.[3]
See also: Metzenbaum Scissors, Electrosurgical Pencil, Bonney Forceps.
References
1. Pepper T, McMillan D, Jenzer A, et al. "Transatlantic tools of the trade: Anglo-American instrumentation in oral and maxillofacial surgery." Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2026;64(3):223–33. doi:10.1016/j.bjoms.2025.12.006
2. El-Sedfy A, Chamberlain RS. "Surgeons and their tools: a history of surgical instruments and their innovators — part I: place the scissors on the Mayo stand." Am Surg. 2014;80(11):1089–92.
3. Strulak L, Gronki F, Shariat K, Schöni D, Alfieri A. "Eponyms of cranial neurosurgical instruments: an international collaboration to optimize the field of neurosurgery." World Neurosurg. 2021;153:26–35. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2021.06.073
4. Sklar. Straight Mayo dissecting scissors 95-112. Product description includes surface tissue and suture cutting and states straight/curved roles may overlap; model-specific catalog, not comparative clinical evidence.
5. Teleflex/Pilling. Mayo catalog listings. Includes straight 17- and 23-cm examples; catalog listing, not an IFU.
6. University of Saskatchewan veterinary clinical-skills laboratory. Scissor teaching page. Describes Mayo for heavier tissue, Metzenbaum for lighter tissue and separate utility scissors to preserve tissue edges; educational technique source, not human clinical outcomes.
7. Scanlan International. Company history of Mayo-scissor collaboration. Manufacturer history; archival design record not independently reviewed.