Abstract: A surgical suturing instrument comprises hinge-joined a staple jaw provided with staple slots, and a supporting jaw provided with depressions for the staple legs to bend, a mechanism for ejecting the staples from the slots, a mechanism for turning the supporting jaw with respect to the staple jaw, and a mechanism for fixing the jaws in the drawn-together position. The supporting jaw is located at the end of the staple jaw so as to rotate, in a hinge-joint, through 180 degrees with respect to the latter.

Abstract: A wound retractor comprises a split tube made up of two halves, holders of the tube halves, a mechanism for spreading the tube halves apart, incorporating a retainer for locking the tube halves in position. The holder of one tube half is shaped as a plate having an oblong opening at the edge of which the tube half is located. The holder of the other tube half is shaped as a strip mounted slidably over the plate and having an opening similar to that in the plate. The second tube half is fitted at the edge of the strip opening opposite to the first tube half.

Abstract: A surgical wound retractor including two diverging branches made up of a stationary part and a movable working part hinged thereto. The working parts of both branches have one common guide which embraces them and is rigidly secured on central rods installed on the stationary parts of the branches, while a movable rod disposed between the stationary parts of the branches has one end connected to the diverging device and the other end to the drive of the diverging device.

Abstract: A holder of a valve prosthesis implantable in a patient's circulatory system, including arms which have handles at one of their ends, and three or more working jaws provided at the end thereof for a valve prosthesis to secure thereon. The ends of all the working jaws form a circle when brought apart.

Abstract: An aortic cannula, including a head which has a front end adapted for being inserted into the aorta, and a base communicating with a blood supply tube; the head is shaped as an oblate cone that flares out from the front end which is an ellipse in cross-section, towards the base which is a circle in cross-section, while the tube is provided with a plurality of through holes or perforations located in an immediate vicinity of the place where it is joined with the base, and has a slidable sleeve adapted to operatively cover the perforations.