Abstract: A patient positioning device and method of operation that is simple in construction, is easy to install, is positioned outside the sterile operating field, yet permits the surgeon to readily position, adjust, and re-position a patient during a surgical procedure is provided and includes a support adapted to be positioned against a predetermined portion of a patient's body, a drive mechanism for moving the support along a generally linear path, a source of power for the drive mechanism, a bracket for mounting the drive mechanism to an operating table, and a remote device for actuating the drive mechanism.