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Surgical retractors designed to temporarily separate and hold back the full thickness of a thoracic wall incision, exposing and providing access to other tissues, organs, or abdominal structures during surgical procedures. Thoracic wall retractors consist of manual, handheld or mechanically operated instruments that are available in a variety of shapes and styles; most mechanically operated instruments can retain the position once it is set (i.e., self-retained retractors). Dedicated self-retained thoracic wall retractors are available to open the ribs (commonly known as rib spreaders) and sternum.
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