US. Army Navy Retractor 21cm, Set of 2

Army-Navy Retractor, 21cm, Set of 2

The Army-Navy Retractor — commonly searched as the "AV retractor" — is one of the most widely used hand-held retractors in general, abdominal, and plastic surgery. Sold as a set of 2, this double-ended instrument gives surgical staff a simple, reliable way to hold back surface tissue layers without the added bulk or setup time of a self-retaining retractor. Its straightforward Parker-Langenbeck-style design has made it a staple on abdominal and plastic surgery trays for decades, prized for doing one job cleanly rather than trying to do everything.

Double-Ended Design, Two Blade Sizes on One Instrument

Each retractor is double-ended, giving the surgeon two working blade sizes on a single handle without reaching for a second instrument: Fig. 1 measures 21 x 15mm and Fig. 2 measures 25 x 15mm, covering both a tighter working field and a wider one from the same tool. The fenestrated handle reduces instrument weight and gives assistants a secure, non-slip grip during extended retraction.

Atraumatic Blade Geometry

The blades are angled at approximately 90 degrees with a slightly curved, rounded lip at each tip, allowing atraumatic retraction of skin and superficial tissue while minimizing the risk of tissue trauma at the wound edge.

Built for Everyday Abdominal and Plastic Surgery Use

At 21cm in overall length, this retractor is proportioned for standard abdominal surgery and plastic surgery applications — long enough for confident handling, compact enough to avoid crowding a busy surgical field. It is frequently used to reveal surface layers of skin during plastic surgery procedures, as well as general abdominal cases where a hand-held, non-locking retractor is the surgeon's preference over a self-retaining one.

Surgical-Grade Stainless Steel Construction

Manufactured from Stainless Steel 304 ASTM, the Army-Navy Retractor is built to withstand repeated clinical use and repeated sterilization cycles without losing shape, edge integrity, or blade alignment. The satin finish reduces glare under operating room lighting, helping the surgical team maintain clear visual focus during the procedure.

A Practical Addition to Any Comprehensive Tray

Take a look through our plastic surgery instrument range for related exposure tools. The Balfour Abdominal Retractor offers a self-retaining alternative when hands-free exposure is the priority, and the Gosset Abdominal Retractor steps in for wider abdominal wall fields.

Quick Specifications