Surgical rod bender

A method of surgery comprising:

• providing an instrument for bending a surgical rod including:
• a first arm assembly including a first handle and a first arm extending from the first handle;
• and
• a second arm assembly including a second handle and a second arm extending from the second handle, the first and second arm assemblies detachably associated with each other;
• placing the instrument in an initial configuration in which first and second receiving portions of the respective first and second arms engage the surgical rod such that transitioning the first and second handles towards each other bends the surgical rod in a first orientation and transitioning the first and second handles away from each other bends the surgical rod in a second orientation opposite to the first orientation;
• securing the surgical rod with the first and second receiving portions of the respective first and second arms;
• and
• bending the surgical rod.