| Reference Number | CSFH/9/4 |
| Title | Balfour Retractor |
| Date | 1925-1975 |
| Creator Name | Fannin Ltd, medical supply company, 1829- |
| Description | This is a Fannin manufactured retractor of the Balfour type. The retractor features a wide curved blade, with the upper blade being concave in shape. The blade is blunt, and the handle includes three finger insert for better grip. Additionally, the handle has a longitudinal slot with two holes, where another couple of retracting arms was likely attached for self-retention and ensured positioning. An inscription reading ‘Theatre’ is present on the upper portion of the back handle, along with the manufacturer’s mark.
This instrument is used to retract soft tissues, creating a wider surgical field. It is particularly useful in gastrointestinal surgeries, cardiovascular surgeries, and orthopaedic procedures. Designed by canadian Dr D.C. Balfour, aslo author of the book "The Stomach and Duodenum"(1935). |
| Extent | 1 item |
| Dimensions | 285mm x 77mm x 48mm |
| Digital Collections | View online in our digital collections |
| Copyright | Free to use under the terms of the Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) |
| Credit Line | Royal College of Physicians of Ireland |
| Object Name | Retractor |
| Term | General Surgery -- Instrumentation |
| Colorectal Surgery -- instrumentation |
| Related Record | CSFH/9/210 |