Wullstein Instruments

What This Collection Covers

• Cup forceps, very delicate — cup jaws and up-cup jaws for middle-ear tissue handling
• House-Wullstein ear cup forceps — jaws angled up
• Wullstein-House cup forceps — jaws curved left
• Hartmann-Wullstein ear forceps, 8.5cm — 1mm diameter
• Ear polypus forceps, 8.5cm — for polyp removal in the canal
• Sickle knife, 15.5cm — for incising and elevating the tympanomeatal flap
• Retractor, 13cm — 3x3 blunt teeth
• Weitlaner retractor — semi-sharp prongs, self-retaining

Why the Jaw Direction Matters

Otological instruments are used down a narrow canal, usually under a microscope. The tissue you need to grasp is rarely straight ahead of the shaft — it is on the wall of the canal, or tucked behind the annulus.

That is the whole reason for the angled-up and curved-left variants. The jaws are offset from the shaft so the working end can reach onto a surface the shaft cannot point at, and so the shaft itself does not block the view down the microscope. Surgeons working both ears commonly keep mirrored left and right patterns rather than one of each.

How to Choose

Cup or flat jaws. Cup jaws hold a small volume of tissue or graft material without crushing it. Flat jaws grip and pull.

Jaw direction. Straight for tissue directly ahead; angled up to reach onto the roof of the canal or lift a flap; curved left or right to work along a canal wall from the opposite side.

Diameter. The 1mm Hartmann-Wullstein is the fine end of the range, for the most delicate handling. Larger jaws give more purchase where you are removing bulk tissue such as a polyp.

Hand-held or self-retaining. The 13cm blunt-tooth retractor is hand-held for controlled, adjustable retraction. The Weitlaner ratchets and holds the field open on its own, freeing a hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Wullstein instruments used for?
Middle-ear and mastoid surgery — tympanoplasty, ossicular reconstruction and related otological procedures, plus canal work such as polyp removal.

What is the difference between House-Wullstein and Wullstein-House?
Both are combination patterns and both are cup forceps; the difference in this catalog is the jaw geometry — angled up on the House-Wullstein, curved left on the Wullstein-House. Order by the jaw direction you need rather than by name order.

What is a sickle knife used for?
Making the initial incision in the tympanomeatal flap and elevating it. The curved, pointed blade lets you cut along an arc inside a confined canal.

What is a Weitlaner retractor?
A self-retaining retractor with rake-style prongs and a ratchet lock, so it holds the wound open without an assistant. The semi-sharp prong version grips fascia and dense soft tissue.

Do you supply these individually or as sets?
Individually — every instrument here can be ordered on its own. For a full otology set, send us your list and our team will quote it line by line, with bulk pricing for distributors and hospital procurement.

Related categories: surgical forceps, surgical retractors, Halle nasal instruments and surgical curettes.