First retractable lung spreader to facilitate extrapleural dissection of the internal thoracic artery

Internal thoracic artery dissection is one of the most defining procedures of coronary artery bypass grafting, as it has been demonstrated that the quality of life and short-long term outcome of patients will depend on the morphological characteristics of the graft. More than 25 years ago, the use of a malleable lung spreader was proposed to facilitate the internal thoracic artery dissection especially its proximal segment, but that device has never been manufactured. A lung spreader, assembled from disused devices, used in coronary artery revascularization is presented. The main advantages confirmed over more than three years in nearly a hundred patients are discussed and commented upon.