Alternative Self-retaining Retractors for Head and Neck Surgery

• Main Authors: Roselle C. Bargo, Samantha S. Castañeda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philippine Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Inc. 2009-11-01
• Series: Philippine Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
• Subjects: self-retaining retractor; instrumentation
• Online Access: https://pjohns.pso-hns.org/index.php/pjohns/article/view/687
• ISSN: 1908-4889; 2094-1501

Objective: To design affordable, easy-to-use self- retaining retractors that can provide adequate exposure of the operative area in head and neck surgery Methods:             Design:  Surgical Instrumentation             Setting: Tertiary government hospital             Subjects: One Results: Self-retaining retractors were designed and fabricated from stainless steel, with tissue prongs on one end and a loop for rubber-band attachment to surgical drapes via a towel clip on the other end. Varying prong lengths were devised for different depths of required retraction. Traction tension could be adjusted by varying rubber-band attachment distance. The retractors were tested on a patient undergoing open reduction and internal fixation for a mandibular fracture and evaluated according to ease of application, adequacy of exposure, and tissue trauma. Conclusion: The self-retaining retractors may be affordable alternatives to commercially-available self-retaining retractors. They are easily applied, with adjustable tension and depth of retraction that can provide adequate exposure with minimal tissue trauma   Keywords: self-retaining retractor, instrumentation