Magill Forceps — Anesthesia Instrument for Intubation and Airway Management

The Magill forceps is a standard instrument on every anesthesia airway cart, yet it is often not deeply understood by the people ordering it. It is also one of the instruments most commonly ordered in the wrong size — which limits its function in the two clinical situations where it is actually needed.

What Is the Magill Forceps?

The Magill forceps is a ring-handled angled forceps with an upward-curved shaft and oval-ringed jaws designed for grasping within the oropharynx. It was designed by Sir Ivan Magill in the 1920s alongside the development of oral tracheal intubation, and its geometry has not changed materially since — the design works for the anatomy it was built for.

The angled shaft keeps the surgeon’s hand out of the line of sight during intubation and allows the jaws to reach the oropharynx and glottis from a standard head position. The ring jaws are non-crushing — they grip without lacerating delicate pharyngeal mucosa or damaging an endotracheal tube cuff.

Clinical Uses

Nasotracheal Intubation

The primary use of the Magill forceps is directing the tip of a nasal endotracheal tube through the glottis during nasotracheal intubation. The tube is advanced nasally until its tip is visible in the oropharynx under direct laryngoscopy; the Magill forceps grasps the tube tip and steers it toward the open glottis while an assistant advances the tube from the nasal end. This technique is used in oral and maxillofacial surgery, some ENT procedures, and in patients where an oral tube is contraindicated.

Foreign Body Removal

The Magill forceps is used to remove pharyngeal and laryngeal foreign bodies in both emergency and elective settings. The non-crushing ring jaws provide grip without fragmenting soft foreign bodies (food bolus, bone fragments) that crush jaws would split into multiple smaller pieces. For this use, the largest available size provides the most reliable grip on objects of variable diameter.

Throat Pack Placement

During oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures performed under general anesthesia, a throat pack is placed in the oropharynx to prevent blood and debris from passing into the trachea around the cuffed tube. The Magill forceps is used to position and retrieve the throat pack with controlled placement at the glottic level.

Sizes — Choosing the Right One

Magill forceps are available in three standard sizes:

• Small (child, 16 cm) — for patients under 8 years; smaller jaw diameter and shorter shaft for the pediatric oropharynx
• Medium (large child/small adult, 20 cm) — for patients 8 to 12 years; transitional size
• Large (adult, 25 cm) — standard adult size; the most commonly ordered; shaft length accommodates the full adult oral and oropharyngeal depth

The most common ordering error is purchasing only the adult size for a mixed adult-pediatric airway cart. Pediatric Magill forceps are sized for smaller airways — using an adult Magill on a child occupies too much of the oral cavity to allow adequate laryngoscopy view and tube control simultaneously.

Material and Design Features

Fizza Surgical Magill forceps are manufactured from 316L stainless steel throughout — shaft, rings, and jaw mechanism. The oval jaw rings are smooth-finished on the outer surface to prevent pharyngeal mucosal abrasion during use. Ring handle diameter accommodates double-gloved hands (28 mm internal diameter). Compatible with steam autoclave at 134 degrees Celsius.

All instruments are manufactured under ISO 13485:2016 with CE marking. Available individually by size or as a complete three-size set for airway carts and anesthesia trolleys. Contact Fizza Surgical for pricing or to request instruments for evaluation.