Surgical Retractors A retractor is a surgical instrument that is used to hold back underlying organs and tissues, so that body parts under the incision may be accessed. It is also used to separate the edges of a surgical incision or wound. Surgical retractors are available in many sizes, shapes, and styles. Surgical retractors are used in different surgical procedures. Retractors are used during operations to help doctors by moving tissue and organs away from the area upon which the surgery is to be performed. There are many new surgical devices like electric scalpels and laser scalpels coming up in the market as a result of which it has become very essential to modify the design and construction of surgical retractors. Importance of surgical retractors Surgical retractors are very important because they determine the exposure of the operative field. A surgeon needs an exposure best as possible while inflicting a minimum of trauma to the surrounding tissue. The handles of the retractor may be hook shaped, notched, or ring shaped to give the holder a firm grip without tiring. The blades of the retractors are at a right angle to the shaft. The blades can be smooth, raked, or hooked. Materials A common material used in the making of retractors is stainless steel. Stainless steel is preferred because of its strength and its ability to be sterilized. The retractors are therefore extremely hard. However, there are some drawbacks of stainless steel retractors like they become very slippery when they come into contact with blood and other body fluids which can lead to tissue damage during operation. Moreover, stainless steel is also thermally highly conductive which also results in tissue injury as it quickly absorbs heat from the tissue with which it comes in contact. Another disadvantage is that they have reflective surfaces which produce glare under the high level illumination which is very common during surgical procedures. To overcome these drawbacks, polymeric materials are used in the making of surgical retractors. Such polymeric materials include Polyetherimide Polyimide and Thermosetting materials It is to be noted that any material of construction of surgical retractors is that It must be sterilizable It must be autoclavable To allow