Company History and Principles of Retractor Design
As a spinal surgeon, frustrated with the available anterior cervical retractor systems, in 2004, I had an idea on how to make a better one. This led me to study all retractor systems and observe that compromises were always being made to achieve retractor blade stability. I realized that stabilizing the retractors inside the wound rather than from outside, allowed for simpler mechanisms and therefore mechanical advantage. Unfortunately using soft tissues for stabilization, as with standard self retainers, leads to tissue stretch and causes injury and scarring. However using bone provides greater stability and bone heals without scarring. Thus the first general design principle ‘Fix to the spine not the table’.
Retraction of tissue should be done to minimize injury. One of the ways retractors injure tissues is through the use of teeth for tissue engagement. There are no teeth on Relax instruments.
Another cause of retractor injury is ischaemia under the retractor blades. To avoid this some surgeons use intermittent release of retractors to allow tissue reperfusion. Yet the design of most retractors discourages such relaxation because repositioning is time consuming or harmful because of the teeth. What surgeons needed was an easier and safer way of releasing the retractors. By using bone to secure an internal axis of rotation for the retractor blades, the retractor blades can rotate without any compromise in stability. Thus surgeons are able to retract or release retraction without delay or danger. Thus the second general design principle ‘Bone fixation with rotation™’.
As custom devices evolved into marketable products, a company was needed and thus “Relax Retractors™” was formed in 2009.
The team has grown but the aim remains unchanged, to offer retractors that make the surgery easier for the surgeon and kinder for the patient.
Sincerely
Dr Kevin Seex
Founder Relax Retractors
