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Thoracic wall surgical retractors designed to temporarily separate and hold back the edge of an incision of the plate of bone forming the middle of the anterior wall of the thorax (i.e., the sternum), exposing and providing access to other tissues or thoracic structures and/or organs. Sternum retractors consist of handheld, manual 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). The retractors are used to facilitate surgical procedures inside the thorax; dedicated retractors for particular procedures such as cardiac surgery and internal mammary artery dissection are also available.
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