IMPROVING VISUALIZATION DURING CLOSED-CHEST SURGERY

摘要

An adjustable surgical retractor and its use for improving a surgeon's ability to perform closed-chest video-assisted exploratory, diagnostic or surgical procedures on a patient. The surgical retractor has opposable blades which can be inserted into a surgical incision in a patient undergoing a surgical procedure then spread apart to form an elongated access opening through which a instrument may be inserted to perform exploratory, diagnostic or surgical procedures. The blades used in the surgical retractor may be flexible or rigid and are attachable to the retractor. The blades are of a width, depth and thickness to provide an access to an internal cavity or subcutaneous region to allow greater degrees of freedom to the surgeon in inserting instruments into the access opening. The use of the surgical retractor forms a substantially ovoid channel, through which a medical instrument can be inserted to perform surgical or other operations.