Minimally invasive surgical retractor and method of operation

Abstract

A retractor for use in various types of surgical procedures such as harvesting mammary arteries, coronary bypass surgery, heart valve repairs, mitral valve replacement, partial sternotomies, and other types of surgery includes a toothed crossbar to which a pair of small grips are attached. The first grip is attached to an arm which is removably connected to a first block. The first block is movable along the crossbar, thereby permitting the first grip to be moved toward or away from the second grip. The second grip is attached to an arm which is removably connected to a second block. The second block can be fixed or movably connected to the crossbar. The crossbar includes a hinge that enables the grips to be pivoted relative to each other. Pivoting is accomplished by a pair of vertically extending brackets that are connected to the blocks and which are connected to each other by an adjustable connector. Retractor blades of various types are connected to the adjustable connector or to arm-carried rods by universal clamps. The grips can be removed and replaced with differently configured grips in order to conduct different types of surgical procedures or to conduct surgical procedures on different portions of a patient's body. The retractor according to the invention enables one portion of a patient's body to be both retracted and raised relative to an adjacent portion of the body. Such retraction provides effective access to a surgical site with minimal invasion of the body.