Surgical Retractors and their application

Monday Activity
Surgical retractors
By: Dr Rako Abdulqader
SHO Urology

Diffinition
A retractor is a surgical instrument used to separate
the edges of a surgical incision or wound, or to hold
back underlying organs and tissues so that body
parts under the incision may be accessed.

Types of surgical retractors
There are two broad categories of retractors
1- Hand retractors (Manual) : must be held by an
assistant, a robot or the surgeon during a procedure.
2 - Self retaining retractors :
Have a screw , ratchet or some type of clamp to hold the
tissue by itself. These allow the surgeon with two free
hands
Various types of retractors are usually named after the
organ which they are used in conjunction with.

1. Senn - is a handheld,
double-ended retractor
used to retract primarily
surface tissue. "Often used
in plastic surgery, small
bone and joint procedures,
or thyroidectomy and
dissection of neck tissue."
Common Hand- held retractors (manual):

2. Army- Navy - Used
to retract shallow or
superficial incisions.
From small wounds to
abdominal operations.

3. Ribbon (Malleable)
Used to retract deep
wounds. May be bent
to various shapes to
assist in holding back
tissue.

4. Hohmann - used
in orthopedics to
expose bone for
procedures.

5. Farabeuf - general
use. It is a versatile
handheld retractor that
is used in multiple
procedures. It may be
used in dentistry, wrist
and hand procedures,
or in hernia repair to
name a few.

6. Meyerding -
frequently used to
hold back tissue and
muscle in spinal and
neurosurgical
procedures such as
laminectomy.

7. Deaver - used to
retract deep abdominal or
chest incisions. Used
in Cholecystectomy, for
retraction of right lobe of
liver. Used in Truncal
vagotomy (division of the
main trunk of the vagus
nerve) for retraction of
left lobe of liver.

8. Richardson -
retract abdominal or
chest incisions. Used
for holding back
multiple layers of
deep tissue. This is
one of the most
common general
retractors.

9. Morris Retractor is
used to retract
abdominal wall
incisions, loin
incisions and
subcostal wounds. ..

10. The Young
Prostatic Retractor is
used to retract the
prostrate during partial
prostatectomy, radical
prostatectomy and
nodular resection.

Self-Retaining Retractors
1. Weitlaner - It is a
popular instrument,
most commonly used
in basic plastic surgery,
large bone and joint
procedures.

2. Balfour Abdominal
Retractor - Retract
wound edges during
deep abdominal
procedures.

3. Finochietto
Rib Retractor
(rib spreader)
specifically
designed to
separate ribs in
thoracic
surgery.

4. Hip
Retractor system -
self retaining hip
retractor helps to free
assisting personnel
while providing
excellent exposure
during hip arthroplasty
and hip fracture
surgery.

5. Gelpi - retract
shallow incisions.
Often used in
smaller surgical
sites. Common in
spine surgery

6. The Joll
(Friedman) Self
Retaining Retractor:
is used to retract
soft tissues in small
surgical sites, like in
thyroid and vaginal
surgeries.

7. Omni-Tract Wishbone retractor systems
Excellent for upper
abdominal surgery
or anywhere
soft-tissue
encroachment is a
challenge

Surgical Retractors and their application

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