Oblique Angled Retractor for Lumboperitoneal Shunt Implantation via Lateral Abdominal Laparotomy.

Abstract

A normal retractor often interferes with the ribs and/or thighs of the ipsilateral side when the skin and abdominal muscles are towed while performing the lumboperitoneal shunt (LPS) procedure in the lateral position. To overcome this, we developed an obtuse-angled retractor. We modified the traditional retractors into oblique-angled retractors. The blade of the new retractors was bent to 60 degrees, the entire blade was thinned, and the tip of the blade was tapered. To date, we have performed approximately 30 LPS procedures in the lateral position using the new oblique-angled retractor and confirmed its usefulness. An oblique-angled retractor helps confirm the accurate placement of the tip of the retractor blades, even in obese patients in whom the retractor often interferes with the ribs and/or thighs.