Cusco's Speculum

Cusco's speculum

Cusco's self retaining bivalved speculum is a surgical instrument used for vaginal and cervical examination. It has a jaw which opens up like a duck bill. It comes in three models : side scew, centre screw and in special narrow virgin size.^[1] The Cusco's speculum is usually 80mm long and 22 mm broad. However, smaller and larger sizes are available. Cusco's speculum is used for introducing an intra-uterine contraceptive device, taking a Pap smear, cauterization of vaginal erosion and for colposcopic examination.^[2] It is preferred in cryosurgery because it protects the anterior and posterior vaginal wall. The advantage of Cusco's speculum is that it is self-retaining. Therefore, an assistant's help is not needed to keep the speculum in place. It also acts as the vaginal wall retractor. However, it reduces the space in the vaginal cavity and therefore is not a preferred instrument for vaginal surgery. Since it covers most of the vaginal wall, small lesions on the vaginal wall may be masked by the blades of the device.^[3]

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