Described herein is a surgical clearing device that includes a neck that defines a longitudinal axis and a clearing portion extending from the neck. The clearing portion extends in a curved path that defines a plane that is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the neck. In a preferred embodiment, the neck includes a cone-shaped portion. A portion of the neck extends downwardly from the bottom of the cone-shaped portion and a portion of the neck extends upwardly from the top of the cone-shaped portion.