Abstract: A surgical retractor has a frame and first and second retractor blades coupled to the frame. The retractor blades engage opposite sides of an incision in a patient's body and are relatively movable toward or away from each other along a first axis. When using the retractor in lift mode, a foot is coupled to the frame or one of the blades and engages the patient's body adjacent the incision. An actuator imparts relative movement to the retractor blades along the first axis and the foot acts as a support base with one of the blades moving relative to the frame to lift the ribs at one side of the incision above the other. To use the retractor in spread mode the foot is removed and the retractor blades spread of the ribs without lifting.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for performing surgery on a heart of a patient comprising a first arm, a second arm and an actuator, the actuator moving the first arm relative to the second arm. The apparatus further includes a first blade on the first arm and a second blade on the second arm, the first and second blades having first and second surfaces facing away from each other, the first and second surfaces being adapted to atraumatically engage tissue or bone for the retraction thereof. The apparatus also includes a stabilizer adapted to be mounted to one of the first and second arms and having a foot, the foot being configured to atraumatically engage the surface of the heart. In a various embodiments, the apparatus includes removable blades mounted to the arms, suture stays removably mounted to the arms, and multiple rails for mounting the stabilizer in various positions.