Handheld tools used by surgeons and theatre staff to perform, assist, and complete surgical procedures. They are manufactured to precise specifications — typically from stainless steel or titanium — and designed to be sterilised and reused. Categories include cutting instruments (scalpels, scissors, bone saws), grasping instruments (forceps, clamps, retractors), haemostatic instruments (artery forceps, clip applicators), and endoscopic instruments for minimally invasive surgery such as laparoscopic graspers and trocars.

Disposable items used once during a surgical procedure and then safely discarded to prevent cross-contamination. They form the highest-volume category of surgical supply and must be readily available in every operating theatre. Examples include sterile gloves, surgical drapes and gowns, swabs and gauze, hypodermic needles and syringes, IV cannulas, catheter sets, electrosurgical pencils, stapling cartridges, and bone wax. Proper management of consumables stock is critical to uninterrupted surgical throughput.

Systems that render reusable surgical instruments completely free of all microorganisms — bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores — before they are used on the next patient. The Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) is the hub of this process in hospitals. Steam autoclaves are the gold standard for heat-tolerant metal instruments. Ethylene oxide (EO) and hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilisers handle heat-sensitive devices such as flexible endoscopes, powered instruments, and implants. Washer-disinfectors clean and thermally disinfect instruments before sterilisation.

Materials used to close wounds, incisions, and internal tissue layers during and after surgery. Sutures (stitches) are the most common — available as absorbable (naturally broken down by the body over days to weeks, used for internal tissue) or non-absorbable (require removal, used for skin). Surgical staples offer faster closure for bowel and skin. Tissue adhesives (surgical glues) bond skin edges without needles. Wound closure strips and adhesive tapes support superficial wounds. The choice of material depends on tissue type, wound tension, and healing time required.

The larger systems and infrastructure that enable safe surgical procedures to take place in the operating theatre. Surgical tables are motorised and adjustable to position patients precisely for each procedure. Operating lights (including LED surgical lights) provide shadow-free, high-intensity illumination of the surgical site. Anaesthesia machines deliver controlled gas mixtures and monitor the patient's breathing throughout. Electrosurgical units (diathermy) cut and coagulate tissue using high-frequency electrical current. Surgical suction systems clear blood and fluid from the operative field.