Open-surgery dissector A hand-held surgical instrument, usually spoon-shaped or rounded at the working end, used to separate a soft tissue or body structure from another. It is used in general or plastic surgery and is usually designed with a handle which continues into a shaft that terminates at the distal end with a tip. The tip may be pointed or flat, sharp or blunt, and angled or straight from the shaft. It is made of high-grade stainless steel, comes in various shapes and sizes. This is a reusable device.