Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device for minimizing or preventing damages due to ischemia that can occur within supported or retracted dermal and/or subdermal living tissue, most particularly during surgical procedures, by one or a combination of several means including cyclically applying and reducing supporting or retracting pressure at each of at least two tissue sections into which the supported or retracted tissue is subdivided, bathing these tissue sections with gases and/or liquids such as oxygen and oxygenated blood, presenting low-pressure regions or partial vacuum to areas within these tissue-sections to stimulate bleeding to encourage blood perfusion, controlling the temperature of these tissue sections to forestall ischemic damage, and mechanically moving at least a portion of these tissue sections to stimulate blood perfusion with, for example, a vibrating mechanism.