Indigenous and austere technique of self-retaining abdominal retraction for facilitating surgical exposure

Adequate exposure is of paramount importance in major abdominal surgeries. This is achieved by appropriately placed incision, proper position of the patients, and judicious use of retractors. A third assistant is usually required for retaining the retractors. Self-retaining retractors have also been utilized for assisting in adequate exposure of the operative field. However, these retractors are complex and unwieldy, causing hindrance in the movement of the surgeon. We describe a technique of self-retaining abdominal retraction that is simple and also obviates the need for an additional assistant.