Tissue friendly retractors for surgeons

Ever wondered why you feel the ache of a muscle strain on top of the surgical pain after prolonged operations? It’s all the work of the self-retaining retractors used by doctors to separate other tissues away from the surgical field.

Although the retractors used are essential in an operation and have progressed from the days when tissues were held by hand, hand-held retractors to the latest self-retaining retractors, an issue that has been failed to be address is to stop pressure on the tissues and muscles due to this stainless steel object. That is until Gynaecologist Dr. S.J.B. Lenadora came up with a solution – the Lenadora Surgical Self Retaining Retractor.

Performing surgeries for over 30 years, Lenadora soon noticed that the current self-retaining retractors adds to the suffering of the patient, working against the principle of giving minimal trauma to the patient. “

Although we have used this (self-retaining retractors) for operations for a number of years, the operation of a retainer is similar to that of a car jack. You apply mechanical pressure similar to that of a jack in the retractor as well.”

Lenadora explained that the force of the retractor puts enormous pressure on the tissues. At the end of a prolonged operation which can take more than an hour, the patient will suffer from the operative injury as well as the injury caused by the retractors.

“This could not be helped previously.” He went on to say that the retractor blades, which comes fixed by manufacturers, puts doctors in an uncomfortable situation during certain operations as the doctors have no say in the size, shape or the placement of the retractor blades.

“Often we have to call in a few others for help and use manual retractors as well.” The limitation prevents getting optimal access to the organs concerned. To overcome these issues, Lenadora came up with his own invention which has been patented in Sri Lanka and is likely to get patency from European Community and India in the near future.

The innovation bagged the Presidential Award for Best Invention for Medicine and the Best Overall Invention in 2011 and gold at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.

Having worked on it for four years, the device is still improved and adjusted from time to time, he added. The special feature of his retractor is that it works with pneumatic force using air power. “It is driven by a few normal disposable plastic syringes.”

The mechanism has been made in such a way that the plastic syringes produce air pressure that is tissue friendly, forming an air cushion instead of causing pressure on the tissues. “It is a tissue friendly cushioning retractor where the force is driven by cushioning air columns.”

Additionally, in the Lenadora Surgical Self Retaining Retractor, doctors have the ability to detach or attach blades in various sizes, lengths and depth as needed for the operation. There is also a formation of a suitable rectangle which supports the operation process. “The doctors will receive optimal access to the necessary organs as well.”

The device has been made in such a way that when the anaesthesia given to the patient is wearing off the, retractor will collapse which acts as in indirect indication to doctors that the anaesthesia is wearing off and that the amount has to be topped up to the desired point.

As of now, 15 to 20 operations have been successfully conducted with the Lenadora Surgical Self Retaining Retractor which includes kidney transplants, ovarian cancer operations etc. “This, I believe, will be an important tool for doctors in the future.”

Lenadora added that he has received the green light to get his patent certificate from the European Community which has conducted a search report on the device. The report came back stating that the instrument is new, industrially preferable and novel. The same assessment was given by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).