Surgical bowel retractor devices

A bowel retractor device, comprising:

• a central portion;
• a first plurality of flexible first arms protruding from said central portion in a first direction and defining a first opening between each said adjacent flexible arm;
• and
• a second plurality of flexible second arms protruding from said central portion in a second direction wherein each said flexible second arm protrudes from said central portion at positions opposite from said first openings wherein said flexible second arms are spaced from each other to form a second opening therebetween and wherein a portion of a patient's bowel may be pulled through said central portion.

A method for performing laparoscopic bowel surgery on a target portion of a patient's bowel comprising:

• inserting at least one bowel retractor device through an opening in the patient, each said bowel retractor device comprising a body configurable from a first collapsed position wherein the body is insertable through the opening to a second expanded position;
• engaging a corresponding non-target portion of the bowel with a central portion of each of the at least one bowel retractor devices when in the second expanded position;
• and
• positioning the at least one bowel retractor device to locate the corresponding non-target bowel portion engaged thereby in non-obtrusive positions to thereby provide physical and visual access to the target portion of the bowel.