Design of an electro-mechanical surgical retractor for anterior abdominal wall retraction

Abstract

Open abdominal surgeries commonly rely on surgical retractors to maintain exposure to the surgical site. Hand-held retractors are one of the commonly used retractor types in open abdominal surgery in Sri Lanka. While they facilitate maintaining exposure to the surgical site, these devices often contribute to operator fatigue and tissue trauma due to prolonged and inconsistent retraction. The project aimed to design an electro-mechanical surgical retractor that minimizes user fatigue and reduces tissue damage.