Microsurgical instruments having a handle (10) adapted to be grasped by a surgeon and operating means (16) on the handle and an instrument body (20) extending outwardly from the handle and having on its outer end the operative portion (31, 33) of the instrument which may be, for example, scissors or forceps, the arrangement being such that the instrument body can be freely rotated about the axis of the handle to align the instrument in the required position and which body is located frictionally in position when the operating means is actuated.