A surgical instrument (8) having a first cutting blade (10) and a second cutting blade (9) that rotates within the first cutting blade during a cutting operation to cause cutting windows (60, 30) of the cutting blades to remove tissue from a patient also includes a suction passage forming member disposed over a suction aperture (40) of the first cutting blade. The suction passage forming member (50, 80) includes an inlet (52, 82), an outlet (56, 86) and a passage (54, 84) between the inlet and the outlet, the outlet communicating with the suction aperture, and the inlet facing distally. The surgical instrument can be used as a suction tool by applying a vacuum through an internal bore of the second cutting blade while the second cutting blade is stopped from rotating with the cutting windows of the first and second cutting blades misaligned with each other so that the vacuum is applied through the suction aperture and the suction passage forming member.