Atraumatic curvilinear atrial retractors and related methods

Abstract

Cardiac retractors include a rod having opposing forward and rearward portions and a length sufficient to position the rearward portion of the rod outside a patient's body and the forward portion inside a patient proximate a lumen of cardiac tissue. The forward portion comprises a distal curvilinear portion that is sized and configured to reside in the left atrium and lift a roof of the left atrium. The retractors may be sized and configured to enter the body through a single small incision into the trans-thoracic cavity. The devices may be sized and configured to reside in situ proximate the mitral valve site at a left atria to splint open the mitral valve in response to robotic controlled direction of a surgeon for a mitral valve repair.