Abstract: A surgical sliding shaft instrument is provided. The instrument can include a shaft part, a slide part, which is guided so as to be movable in a longitudinal direction on the shaft part, working elements disposed on distal ends of the shaft part and the slide part, and a proximal handle for reciprocal movement between a rest position and an operative position. The shaft part and the slide part can abut one another with sliding surfaces. The slide part can be interrupted by first rinsing slots. The shaft part can be interrupted by second rinsing slots. The first rinsing slots of the slide part and the second rinsing slots of the shaft part can be constructed and disposed so that in the rest position of the instrument the first rinsing slots and the second rinsing slots adjoin one another in the longitudinal direction alternately without overlapping one another.