Surgical instrument

A method of extracting cranial bone from a mammal, said mammal having cranial bone at least partially covering a brain, said mammal having a dura substantially separating said brain from said cranial bone, said mammal having a scalp covering at least a portion of said cranial bone, said method comprising the steps of:

• incising the scalp of said mammal;
• gripping a surgical instrument, said surgical instrument comprising:
• an elongated handle having an operator gripping portion, said handle having an axis;
• a grinding burr mounted to said handle opposite said operator gripping portion and rotatable about an axis generally perpendicular to the axis of said handle and extending therefrom in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of said handle;
• and
• an elongated guard connected to said handle, said guard extending along said handle substantially parallel to the axis of said handle, said guard terminating in a plate;
• incising the skull of said mammal;
• positioning said surgical instrument in a position wherein said grinding burr is below said scalp of said mammal but above said skull of said mammal and wherein said guard is below said skull of said mammal but above said dura of said mammal;
• and
• cutting said skull of said mammal with said burr to thereby remove said cranial bone.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• an elongated handle, said handle having an operator gripping end and an actuating end, said handle including an axial bore passing a drive shaft;
• a cutting means extending from said handle at said actuating end in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of said handle, said cutting means actuated by said drive shaft;
• a collar securable to said handle and movable with respect thereto along at least a portion of said handle;
• an elongate guard connected to said collar and extending along said handle in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said handle, said guard terminating in a flattened, broadened plate, said plate terminating in an upturned tip.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• an elongated handle having an operator gripping portion and a head portion;
• a grinding burr mounted to said handle at said head portion and rotatable about an axis generally perpendicular to the axis of said handle;
• and
• an elongated guard connected to said handle;
• said head portion, said burr, and said guard being suitably dimensioned so that said burr may cut the skull of a human infant when said head portion is beneath the scalp of said human infant and said guard is beneath said skull of said human infant.

A method of cranial surgery for a mammal, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an endoscope, said endoscope including a proximal end grippable by a user and a distal end;
• said endoscope transmitting an image from said distal end to said proximal end;
• positioning said endoscope between the inner table of the skull of said mammal and the dura of said mammal;
• and
• separating said dura from said skull using said distal end of said endoscope while observing the image transmitted by said endoscope, and
• continuing to dissect said dura from said skull.