Endarterectomy dissector (plaque spatula)
A flat, blunt-tipped spatula- or spoon-shaped dissecting instrument on a long, thin shaft, designed to initiate and extend the dissection plane between atheromatous plaque and the arterial media or adventitia without cutting into either; distinct from the already-catalogued Penfield dissector (neurosurgery).
How it is used
Carotid or femoral endarterectomy, to separate the plaque from the arterial wall before removing it en bloc.
Clinical tip
Some designs include an internal lumen for a guidewire, intended for remote plaque stripping in peripheral vessels; these specific models explicitly contraindicate use in the internal carotid artery and central circulation, an important nuance when choosing the instrument.
Sources
This entry is part of the Instriq catalog, researched and written per specialty from real web research -- never generated or invented without verification -- and reviewed skeptically and independently before publication. How this catalog is written.
History
Added to the catalog on 2026-10-17.
Dates derived from the project's public version-control history on GitHub, not a live collaborative edit log.