Balfour Retractor

What This Collection Covers

• Complete sets, fixed blades — 7 1/8", 8" and 10" spread
• Complete sets with centre blade — 180–250mm adjustable, and Balfour-US at 180mm and 25cm spread
• 10" set — seven spread blades, two deep
• Frame only — 8 1/2" maximum open
• Paediatric — Balfour Baby 4" spread fixed blades, and Balfour-Baby 90mm with 27x27mm / 24x20mm blades
• Individual blades — centre blade 3 3/8" x 2 1/2", wire deep side-blade pair, and the Horgan centre blade 2" x 5"

Why the Centre Blade Matters

The two lateral blades hold the abdominal wall apart. They do nothing about what falls into the wound from below — bladder, small bowel, omentum. That is the centre blade's job: it drops down at the caudal end of the incision and holds those structures out of the operative field.

For upper abdominal work it is often left off entirely, because there is nothing to hold down and it only obstructs access. For pelvic and lower abdominal procedures it is usually the reason the retractor is being used at all. That is why sets are sold both ways, and why centre blades are stocked separately — they are the part most often replaced or swapped for a different depth.

How to Choose

Spread. The maximum spread has to exceed the incision you plan, with margin. 7 1/8" and 8" cover most standard laparotomies; 10" and 25cm are for large or obese abdomens; the 4" and 90mm Baby patterns are for paediatric and neonatal cases, where an adult frame simply will not fit the body.

Fixed or adjustable blades. Fixed-blade sets are simpler and more rigid. The adjustable 180–250mm patterns let one instrument cover a range of abdominal wall thicknesses.

Blade depth. Deeper blades are needed on a thick abdominal wall; a shallow blade will ride out of the wound. The deep wire side-blade pair exists for exactly that case.

Replacement blades. Blades are the wearing part and the part that goes missing from a tray. Ordering them individually is normal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Balfour retractor used for?
Holding an abdominal incision open during laparotomy — general, gynaecological, colorectal and urological. It is self-retaining, so it needs no assistant once set.

What does the centre blade do?
It holds the bladder, bowel or omentum out of the lower end of the wound. It is essential for pelvic work and often removed for upper abdominal work.

What is the difference between Balfour and Balfour-US?
Balfour-US is a variant pattern supplied complete with central and side blades, listed here at 180mm and 25cm spread. Order by the spread and blade configuration you need rather than by the suffix.

Can I buy blades separately?
Yes — centre blades and side-blade pairs are listed individually, which is the usual way a worn or missing blade is replaced without rebuying the frame.

Do you supply these individually or as sets?
Both. Complete sets and individual blades are listed separately. For a full theatre tray, send us your list and our team will quote it line by line, with bulk pricing for distributors and hospital procurement.

Related categories: surgical retractors, retractor sets, Deaver retractors and Richardson retractors.