SURGICAL RETRACTOR, AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING AN ENLARGED OPERATING PORTAL IN A PATIENT

摘要

A surgical retractor includes an open-ended hollow sleeve adapted for inserting into a body of a patient at an operating site to hold back surrounding muscle and body tissue. The sleeve defines an enlarged operating portal sufficient to allow entry and manipulation of surgical instruments inside the body. The sleeve has a width dimension of at least 50 mm. The width dimension accommodates multiple side by side dilators adapted for stretching the muscle and body tissue at the operating site. The surgical retractor is inserted into the body over the multiple dilators, and the dilators being subsequently removed to establish the enlarged operating portal.