Stepped surgical retractor

In a surgical retractor for retracting and lifting a body organ:

• an elongated retractor member means for mounting on a surface such as on one side of an operating table for longitudinal adjustment upwardly or downwardly and transversely of the mounting surface to change the effective length thereof, said retractor member having opposite ends and a plurality of retaining members at spaced positions thereon,
• a curved retracting end means of said retractor member means defining a slope portion in which at least part of the body organ is supported for lifting,
• a support member means extending vertically upwardly to the mounting surface for adjustably supporting said retractor member above the organ on the mounting surface, whereby the height of the end of the retractor member means opposite from the slope portion may be adjusted in vertical height by moving same selectively upwardly or downwardly and substantially through said support member means to change the effective length of the elongated retractor member means, said support member means comprising a plurality of individual support members spaced from one another upwardly above the mounting surface from each other,
• said retractor member means being selectively movable from one position on said support means upwardly or downwardly and selectively inwardly or outwardly relative to the mounting surface to engage a selected retaining member with one selected support member thereby to determine the height and effective length of the retractor member,
• thereby to change the angle of the retractor member with respect to the transverse line of the operating table whereby the height, angle and effective length of said retractor member may be adjusted and set.