A surgical instrument and method for freeing tissue in a nerve decompression operation. Tissue is freed from the area surrounding a nerve with use of the blunt tip on one jaw of the instrument. The freed tissue is then cut with the bladed region of the instrument and removed from the area surrounding the nerve while leaving the nerve untouched. The instrument includes a pair of pivotally connected arms. Each of the arms is elongated and has a free end and a handle end, the free end of each having a blade, the handle end of each having a finger loop for the surgeon to grasp. One of the free ends is longer than the other, with a blunt, rounded tip and edge for freeing tissue without cutting. The scissors are curved, to the right or left, to further insure against the nerve being nicked during the operation. The pivot between the two arms separates the two sections and allows the arms to move with respect to each other within a plane of pivotal movement so that the tissue is selectively cut along the extent of the overlap of the arms.
