A novel figure A-shape sternal retractor for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

A novel figure A-shape sternal retractor was developed to avoid brachial plexus injury caused by sternal wide separation, and facilitate exposure of circumflex artery by elevating a rake and dropping the heart into the right pleural cavity during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. In addition, it has several notches to hold deep pericardial stitches in order to enhance the exposure.