Castroviejo Scissors

Castroviejo scissors are the microsurgical scissors: spring handles operated from the fingertips, sharp/sharp micro-serrated tips, and 16 to 18 cm of slender shaft for work under loupes or a microscope. Papilla handling, graft refinement and micro-suture in periodontal plastic surgery are their work. Helmut Zepf's ZEPF-Line versions come curved or 45° angulated, standard or Onyx-coated, plus the TOUCHGRIP design developed with Drs. Hürzeler and Zuhr.

Which Castroviejo Scissors Do You Need?

Choose curved or 45° angulated first, then length, Onyx coating or the TOUCHGRIP handle. Every product in the collection is linked once below.

Curved

Zepf No.	Pattern or size
46.319.17	ZEPF-Line, Micro-Serrated, Sharp/Sharp, Curved, 17 cm
46.319.17HZU	Micro-Serrated, Sharp/Sharp, Curved, 17 cm, TOUCHGRIP Design
46.319.17N	ZEPF-Line, Micro-Serrated, Sharp/Sharp, Curved, 18 cm
46.319.17TISC	ZEPF-Line, Micro-Serrated, Sharp/Sharp, Curved, 17 cm, Onyx Coating

45° angulated

Zepf No.	Pattern or size
46.321.16	ZEPF-Line, Micro-Serrated, Sharp/Sharp, 45° Angulated, 16 cm
46.321.16TISC	ZEPF-Line, Micro-Serrated, Sharp/Sharp, 45° Angulated, 16 cm, Onyx Coating

Premium Castroviejo Scissors Collection

Our range covers the configurations clinicians ask for most:

Castroviejo curved, micro-serrated, 17 cm — Standard (46.319.17) and Onyx (46.319.17TISC)
Castroviejo curved, micro-serrated, 18 cm — Extra reach (46.319.17N)
Castroviejo 45° angulated, micro-serrated, 16 cm — Standard (46.321.16) and Onyx (46.321.16TISC)
Micro Spring Castroviejo TOUCHGRIP, curved, 17 cm — The Hürzeler/Zuhr handle design (46.319.17HZU)

All instruments are made in Germany by Helmut Zepf — fully autoclavable, corrosion-resistant, and engineered to hold their edge through hundreds of sterilization cycles.

Why Choose Zepf Castroviejo Scissors?

Spring handles — Fingertip control with no ring to fight — precision measured in tenths of a millimetre
Micro-serrated sharp/sharp tips — Hold and cut 6-0 and 7-0 suture and papillary tissue cleanly
Curved or 45° angulated — Angulated for the anterior under a scope; curved for general micro work
Onyx option — Black coating kills glare under the intense light of loupes and microscopes

History: Who Invented the Castroviejo Scissors?

Ramón Castroviejo (1904–1987), the Spanish-American ophthalmologist who pioneered corneal transplantation in New York, designed his spring-handled micro scissors and needle holders in the 1930s and 1940s for keratoplasty; the Smithsonian holds an early pair. His instruments were among the first built specifically for surgery under magnification, and when periodontal microsurgery emerged in the 1990s the Castroviejo was the obvious scissors to adopt. Helmut Zepf's ZEPF-Line adds micro-serration, the Onyx coating and — in the TOUCHGRIP — a handle redesigned with periodontal surgeons Markus Hürzeler and Otto Zuhr.

Clinical Use

Periodontal plastic and microsurgery
Papilla handling and reconstruction
Connective-tissue graft refinement
Micro-suture placement and removal
Implant soft-tissue procedures under magnification

Care and Reconditioning

Clean, disinfect and sterilize Castroviejo scissors between patients following Helmut Zepf's instructions and the symbols on the product package; process scissors open, keep the joint lightly lubricated and inspect the tips and cutting edges before each use. Our Surgical Instrument Reprocessing & Sterilization Guide covers the general workflow and our micro-surgical scissors sharpening service restores worn edges.

Compare With

Not sure which pattern you need? Our Dental & Surgical Scissor Selection Guide compares all 15 Helmut Zepf scissors patterns — what each is for, what it is not for — and its style chart sets Standard, Supercut, TC and Onyx editions side by side. Enjoy fast shipping from our US warehouse, expert support at (917) 480-2682 ext 101, and competitive pricing on authentic Helmut Zepf instruments.

Further reading: Dental & Surgical Scissor Selection Guide

Part of the Dental Scissors hub.

FAQ

Why are spring handles "for micro loads only"? The spring gives fingertip control, not leverage. Cutting anything with resistance — thick tissue, wire, heavy suture — flexes the blades and ruins the alignment. Keep the Castroviejo for micro work and use a ring-handled scissors for everything else.

Curved or 45° angulated? Angulated when you are working straight down under a microscope in the anterior and need the tips to turn toward the tissue; curved for general microsurgical use with loupes.

What is the TOUCHGRIP design? A handle geometry developed with Drs. Hürzeler and Zuhr that repositions the grip for a more relaxed, precise hold during long microsurgical procedures.

Which edge should I choose — Standard, Supercut, TC or Onyx? This Castroviejo pattern is available in micro-serrated stainless steel versions and Onyx-coated versions; Zepf’s TISC suffix marks the Onyx coating combined with Supercut grinding, although the product titles describe the edge as micro-serrated. Standard is the everyday choice; Supercut adds a micro-serrated edge for a cleaner shear with less pressure; tungsten carbide holds an edge far longer between sharpenings; Onyx is a Supercut blade with a black coating that eliminates glare under loupes and lights. The style comparison chart in our Scissor Selection Guide sets them side by side.

Can they be resharpened? Yes — but only by a specialist. Use our micro-surgical scissors sharpening service; a chairside stone will destroy the micro-serration.

Where are these scissors made? Every scissors in this collection is forged and finished by Helmut Zepf Medizintechnik in Seitingen-Oberflacht, Germany — precision dental and surgical instruments since 1921 — and ships fast from our US warehouse.