Tissue retention systems and methods

A tissue retention belt for maintaining tissue in a position that permits access to a body portion of a patient for a medical procedure, comprising:

• a first anchor zone comprising an adhesive surface configured to adhere to a patient's skin and a removable non-adhesive outer surface removably attached to the adhesive surface;
• a tension zone integral with or permanently affixed to the first anchor zone to form a unitary structure, the tension zone extending from the first anchor zone and defining a tension axis that extends in a direction of loading to be applied to patient tissue, the tension zone including a nonadhering contact region and an adhering contact region configured to provide additional adhesion to the patient's skin, the adhering contact region having a removable nonadhesive outer surface selectively removable to expose an adhesive surface;
• and
• a second anchor zone spaced along the tension axis from the first anchor zone, the second anchor zone having fastening feature configured to attach to an inanimate object or the patient.

A method of maintaining tissue in a position that permits access to a body portion of a patient for a medical procedure, the method comprising:

• providing a tissue retention belt comprising:
• a first anchor zone comprising an adhesive surface configured to adhere to a patient's skin and a removable non-adhesive outer surface removably attached to the adhesive surface;
• a tension zone integral with or permanently affixed to the first anchor zone to form a unitary structure, the tension zone extending from the first anchor zone and defining a tension axis that extends in a direction of loading to be applied to patient tissue, the tension zone including a nonadhering contact region;
• and a second anchor zone integral with or permanently affixed to the tension zone at a location spaced along the tension axis from the first anchor zone, the second anchor zone having fastening feature configured to attach to an inanimate object or the patient;
• exposing the adhesive surface of the first anchor zone by removing a backing material;
• and
• adhesively adhering the first anchor zone to a patient's skin at a first skin location and attaching the second anchor zone at an anchor location spaced apart from the first skin location, the first and second anchor zones being tautly connected via the tension zone along a tension axis that extends in a direction of applied loading.