The St Mark's retractor.

Abstract

The St Mark's retractor is an instrument essential in open pelvic surgery. It is of great help in exposing structures deep in the narrow pelvis. This rigid retractor has specific properties including a shaped hollow handle with two prominences on the upper ridge, a 90° angle in the blade and a varying angle from blade to handle. The slightly curved blade is 6 cm wide and 12·5 cm or 18 cm deep. Lipped and non‐lipped blades are available (Fig. 1). Although the instrument is known internationally as ‘St Mark's retractor’, its origin and creator are unknown. In this article, the authors aim to describe the origin of this useful instrument in order to appreciate its historical value and acknowledge its developer. Open in a separate window Figure 1 St Mark's retractors