Maxillofacial Retractors: Obwegeser, Hargis, Levasseur-Merrill and Intraoral Patterns
Instrument guides
Maxillofacial Retractors: Obwegeser, Hargis, Levasseur-Merrill and Intraoral Patterns
Which retractor holds which tissue in jaw and facial surgery, from Obwegeser soft tissue and ramus retractors to sigmoid notch, coronoid and lighted intraoral patterns.
Jaw and facial surgery is done mostly through the mouth, in a small space with important structures close by. Obwegeser soft tissue retractors hold back the cheek and flaps, and come curved up or down in eight blade sizes. Ramus, channel, sigmoid notch and coronoid retractors hook around the jaw to protect the nerve and soft tissue during osteotomies. Lip and cheek retractors open the field, and fiber optic versions of the Levasseur-Merrill, Bauer, Petri and sigmoid notch retractors bring light to the back of the mouth.
Who was Obwegeser?
Hugo Obwegeser (1920 to 2017) was a Swiss maxillofacial surgeon who trained with Richard Trauner and with Sir Harold Gillies, according to his Royal College of Surgeons biography. He pioneered the intraoral sagittal split osteotomy of the mandible in the 1950s, described the modern Le Fort I osteotomy, and in 1970 published the first bimaxillary osteotomy. Many of the retractors, elevators and osteotomes used for these operations carry his name.
Which retractors do we make?
| Group | Patterns | Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Obwegeser soft tissue | curved up, curved down, hollow handle | Blades 18 x 5 to 70 mm; hollow handle 80 x 20 to 40 mm |
| Obwegeser deep | channel, 8 or 10 mm, ramus, chin, nasal spine | 16 to 22 cm |
| Ramus, notch and coronoid | Hargis ramus left, right, Hargis coronoid with chain, Hargis mandibular body, sigmoid notch, Joseph coronoid | 16 to 22 cm |
| Intraoral, posterior | Levasseur-Merrill, Bauer left, right, Petri pterygoid | 21 to 25 cm |
| Lighted | Levasseur-Merrill fiber optic, Bauer fiber optic, Petri fiber optic, sigmoid notch fiber optic, Shea | 21 to 25 cm |
| Lip and cheek | upper jaw, lower jaw, Bishop, Martin Simplex, Arnett Le Fort upper lip, vestibulum, wound and cheek | 10 to 26 cm |
| Midface and orbit | zygoma, left or right, Clodius orbital, Wise orbit and nasal, sinus set, Tessier malleable ribbon | 16.5 to 25 cm |
| Other | Fischl shoe horn, Hajek cheek, Sternberg, Wassmund, Gillies, Henahan, Oringer self retaining |
How do you choose a maxillofacial retractor?
- Curved up or down. Obwegeser soft tissue retractors curve up for the maxilla and down for the mandible.
- Blade size. Choose the smallest blade that holds the tissue, and keep two or three sizes on the tray.
- Sided patterns. Ramus, Bauer and zygoma retractors are shaped for one side. Order pairs.
- Light. Deep posterior work is easier with a lighted retractor. See our fiber optic retractor guide for cables and light sources.
How should these be cleaned?
Clean the inside of hooked and channelled blades, where tissue collects. On lighted retractors, wipe the light outlet and check that light passes before every case. Never leave instruments in saline, because it causes corrosion. Our instrument care guide gives the full routine, and the CDC guidance on cleaning instruments before sterilization explains why cleaning comes before the autoclave.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Obwegeser retractor used for?
Holding back the cheek, lips and flaps in jaw surgery. The curved up version suits the maxilla and the curved down version the mandible.
What is a sigmoid notch retractor?
A retractor that hooks into the notch at the top of the mandibular ramus to protect soft tissue during a ramus osteotomy.
Why are some retractors left and right?
They are shaped to follow one side of the jaw, so each side needs its own.
Can lighted retractors be autoclaved?
Ours can. Check light transmission after each cycle.
Related instrument guides
- Orthognathic osteotomes and separators
- Maxillofacial elevators and bone instruments
- Mouth gag types
- Fiber optic lighted retractors
Order maxillofacial retractors
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