Lahey Clinic Dura Retractor Hook, 13 cm

Dura is not retracted the way other tissue is. It is a thin membrane lying directly on the brain, and it is opened and its edges lifted clear so the surgeon can work beneath — but any force that pulls rather than lifts tears it, and a tear in dura is a repair problem and a leak risk afterwards. A hook for this purpose engages a cut edge and raises it vertically, taking the weight of the flap rather than dragging it.

13 cm is short, and that is what gives the control the tissue demands. A long instrument multiplies hand movement at the tip; on a membrane where the useful range of movement is a few millimetres, that amplification works against the surgeon. Held in the fingers at this length the tip travels exactly as far as the fingertips do, which is the level of precision dural work is done at.

Specifications