Abstract: In a hands-free, spreader retractor for thoracic or abdominal surgery comprising a frame with parallel, blade-supporting arms movable toward and away from each other by a rack and pinion mechanism, plural blades are supported on the arms by depending pylons which are substantially narrower than the widths of the blades measured in the direction of elongation of the arms, to permit accumulation of fat of an obese patient between adjacent pylons. The lower portions of the pylons are connected to the undersides of the arms by narrow stems which are spaced from the edges of the arms to allow auxiliary instrument supports to slide lengthwise along the arms.

Abstract: A stabilizer is used to immobilize a portion of the heart or other organ to facilitate a surgical procedure such as anastomosis. The stabilizer comprises two, C-shaped, organ wall-contacting elements, hinged together so that they can form a continuous loop. The hinge allows the C-shaped elements to be separated so that, after surgery in which a tubular graft connected to the organ extends through the loop, the stabilizer can be released from the graft. The C-shaped elements are connected to a stem which consists of two lockably articulating parts, one of which is immediately connected to one of the C-shaped elements and aligned with the hinge axis. A spring-loaded sleeve, surrounding the last-mentioned part of the stem, has pins which engage recesses in the C-shaped parts to lock them in the closed condition, while allowing them to be opened quickly by manipulation of the sleeve. Removable, disposable pads form the organ wall-contacting surfaces.