Tech in Surgery Prep / Unit 13 TSC 302 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Handheld Retractors
The idea
Handheld retractors come in many shapes and sizes, each suited to a depth of wound and a kind of tissue.
In practice
Learn them by depth, from shallow to deep. First, for skin and shallow tissue in small incisions: the Army-Navy retractor, often used in pairs, and rake retractors with sharp teeth. Second, for shallow to medium-depth wounds: the Richardson retractor, with a right-angled blade. Third, for deep abdominal and pelvic work: the Deaver retractor, with a long, smooth curve, used to hold back organs such as the liver. Fourth, to protect organs and bowel deep in a wound: the ribbon or malleable retractor, a flat blade that can be bent to shape. The depth and location of the wound decide which retractor the surgeon wants.
Where people slip
Sharp rake retractors are handled and passed like sharps, with the teeth facing away from hands. A rake is never placed where it could catch on bowel or a vessel.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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