Surgical punch forceps instrument for eye surgery

A surgical instrument of the forceps punch type for eye surgery, being designed to perform trabeculectomy, the instrument having an elongate body on which an elongate lever is hinged about a hinge axis, together with a punch constituted by an elongated tubular blade rigidly fixed to the end of the body and by a cutting plunger slidably mounted in said tubular blade, the distal end of the plunger having a notch with a cutting edge and the proximal end of the plunger being connected by fastening means to the end of the lever, wherein:

• the tubular blade of the punch has a longitudinal axis which is rectilinear and lies in a midplane of the instrument that is orthogonal to the hinge axis of the lever, said tubular blade being furthermore mounted so as to have its longitudinal axis forwardly inclined, thereby defining an obtuse angle relative to the body lying essentially in a range 95.degree. to 160.degree. for enabling the performance of a trabeculectomy through a tunnel incision;
• and said body has an end tapping for dismountably securing the tubular blade, the axis of said tapping coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said blade, and wherein
• the cutting plunger has a terminal end of rounded shape for enabling gentle insertion of the punch when passing through a tunnel incision, and the notch of said cutting plunger has a cutting edge which is raised for enabling it to hook onto the tissue to be cut when said plunger is withdrawn.