Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
An Olsen-Hegar needle holder (also searched as an Olsen-Hegar needle driver) is a needle holder with suture scissors built into the same instrument, so one tool can hold the needle and trim the suture ends. This guide covers what the instrument is, how it is listed and classified, and how to tell it apart from related instruments. It is general product information, not medical or veterinary advice, and it contains no procedure steps.
Short answer
An Olsen-Hegar is a dual-purpose surgical instrument: a needle holder that also carries suture scissors, so suture ends can be trimmed without switching tools (World Precision Instruments listing, checked 2026-10-30). In FDA’s device database it is filed as a Class I manual surgical instrument, and under several different product codes depending on the maker.
Definition and scope
The manufacturer World Precision Instruments (WPI) describes its Olsen-Hegar as a dual-purpose instrument that combines a needle holder and scissors. Its listed models have straight serrated jaws with tungsten carbide inserts and ring handles with a lock. WPI names orthopedics, plastic surgery and life-science in vivo animal studies (for example implanting electrodes) among its uses. That is the maker’s own description of its product, not an independent finding.
Needle holders as a group are covered on the site’s Castroviejo needle holder guide, which describes the fine, spring-handled Castroviejo pattern. This page covers only the combination instrument with scissors.
How it is described in practice
The sourced description is narrow: the scissors are there so suture ends can be trimmed with the same instrument that holds the needle (WPI, 2026-10-30). Listings from other makers in the FDA database use the same pattern name with a scissors statement, for example “Olsen-Hegar Needle Holder with suture scissors, straight, serrated, 5 1/2 in” (BR Surgical) and “Olsen-Hegar Needle Holder, 7-1/2 in, with Suture Scissors” (Integra Miltex). Tungsten carbide inserts, which several listings mention, are explained in the site’s tungsten carbide guide.
How it is filed with FDA
This is where listings differ most, and where product pages say least. The FDA Global Unique Device Identification Database (GUDID), queried through openFDA on 2026-10-30 for device descriptions containing “olsen-hegar”, matched 446 records. The figures below describe only the first 100 records returned, not all 446.
| FDA product code (first 100 records) | Name in FDA’s list | Class | Regulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDM (20 entries) | Instrument, manual, surgical, general use | 1 | 21 CFR 878.4800 |
| FHQ (49 entries) | Holder, needle, gastroenterologic | 1 | 21 CFR 876.4730 |
| HXK (22 entries) | Holder, needle; orthopedic | 1 | 21 CFR 888.4540 |
| HCF (3 entries) | Instrument, ligature passing and knot tying | 1 | 21 CFR 878.4800 |
| GEN (3 entries) | Forceps, general and plastic surgery | 1 | 21 CFR 878.4800 |
| HYA (2 entries) | Forceps, wire holding | 1 | 21 CFR 878.4800 |
Counts are per product-code entry, so one record can appear under more than one code. A single outlier record carried an electrosurgical code (class 2) and is left out of the table. In the same 100 records, 90 were flagged reusable and 10 single-use; the GMDN term “Suturing needle holder, reusable” appeared in 85 and “Suturing needle holder, single-use” in 3.
The regulation behind the general-use code, 21 CFR 878.4800 (eCFR, checked 2026-10-30), defines a manual surgical instrument for general use as a nonpowered, hand-held or hand-manipulated device, reusable or disposable, intended for various general surgical procedures. It is Class I (general controls) and exempt from premarket notification, subject to the limitations in 878.9. The regulation text does not name Olsen-Hegar, needle holders or scissors.
Sizes seen in sourced listings
| Source and model | Length | Listed suture size range |
|---|---|---|
| WPI 501312 | 12 cm (4.75 in) | 3-0 to 6-0 |
| WPI 500227 / 500227-G | 14 cm (5.5 in) | 3-0 to 6-0 |
| WPI 501725 / 501725-G | 16.5 cm (6.5 in) | 3-0 to 6-0 |
| BR Surgical (FDA record) | 5 1/2 in | Not stated in the record |
| Integra Miltex (FDA record) | 7-1/2 in | Not stated in the record |
| MSI, delicate, smooth jaw (FDA record) | 4-3/4 in (120 mm) | Not stated in the record |
Length is not standardized across makers. Treat each manufacturer’s own specification as the reference for its model.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
Because the same pattern is filed under general-use, orthopedic and gastroenterologic needle-holder codes, searching a catalogue or the FDA database under one product code will miss listings filed under another. Searching by the pattern name catches more, as in the query above. Reusable and single-use versions both exist, so a listing’s reuse status and the maker’s sterilization statement should be read from the listing itself. WPI states its models are suitable for sterilization by autoclave or chemical sterilant; other makers may differ.
Checklist for reading a listing
- Does the listing say suture scissors are included, or is it a needle holder alone?
- Jaw surface (smooth or serrated) and whether it has tungsten carbide inserts.
- Overall length, in the unit and rounding the maker uses.
- Reusable or single-use, and the stated sterilization method.
- Product code and regulation in the FDA record, since these vary by maker.
Common misunderstandings
- It is not a hemostat. The site’s hemostat guide notes that a needle holder has shorter, sturdier jaws with a surface designed to hold a suture needle, while a hemostat is made to grip and clamp tissue and vessels.
- It is not a Castroviejo. The Castroviejo is a fine, spring-handled holder; the Olsen-Hegar listed above has ring handles with a lock.
- One FDA code does not apply to every listing. Class I is common to the sample above, but codes and regulations differ by maker.
- The scissors have one sourced purpose. The manufacturer describes them as for trimming suture ends.
FAQ
What is an Olsen-Hegar needle holder?
A needle holder with suture scissors built in, so suture ends can be trimmed without changing instruments (WPI, 2026-10-30).
Is an Olsen-Hegar needle driver the same thing?
“Needle driver” is another name searchers use for a needle holder. Whatever a listing calls the instrument, check that it states whether suture scissors are included.
What FDA class is it?
Class I in the first 100 of 446 GUDID records checked, under several product codes. Regulation 21 CFR 878.4800 itself is Class I and exempt from premarket notification, subject to 878.9.
What suture sizes are listed?
WPI lists 3-0 to 6-0 for all three of its lengths. Other makers’ records in the FDA database do not state a range.
Which related guides cover similar instruments?
See suture needle types, wound closure kit contents and Stevens tenotomy scissors.
Sources
- eCFR, 21 CFR 878.4800, Manual surgical instrument for general use, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-878/subpart-E/section-878.4800 (checked 2026-10-30).
- FDA GUDID via openFDA device/udi endpoint, device_description “olsen-hegar”, https://api.fda.gov/device/udi.json (queried 2026-10-30; 446 matches, first 100 analyzed).
- World Precision Instruments, Olsen-Hegar Needle Holder with Suture Scissors, https://wpiinc.com/var-501312-olsen-hegar-needle-holder-with-suture-scissors (manufacturer listing, checked 2026-10-30).
