SURGICAL RETRACTOR AND SURGICAL METHOD

摘要

A surgical retractor (10) having a plurality of widenable and narrowable blades (24, 26, 28) of substantial width, having tissue-contacting surfaces that are not significantly narrower, in a collapsed position, than a guide tube (13) for guiding the retractor blades through a surgical access port to a surgical site during a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Each retractor blade (24, 26, 28) includes a relatively large, preferably planar, tissue-cntacting surface for displacing or repositioning internal body tissue, such as an internal organ, for temporary displacement away from the surgical site. After insertion through a surgical access port one or more of the retractor blades (24, 26, 28) can be widened laterally to substantially space distal ends (56, 58, 60) of the retractor blades apart for maximum contact against and over a substantial area of the tissue to be displaced during the surgical procedure. After completion of the operative procedure, the retractor blades (24, 26, 28) can be narrowed by nesting the blades together and the retractor (10) can be easily and safely withdrawn from the access port.