Patent ID: 8828033

Claim:
A system for performing surgery, comprising: a first retractor blade and a second retractor blade, wherein said first retractor blade comprises a first grasping bar and said second retractor blade comprises a second grasping bar, and wherein said first retractor blade and said second retractor blade are configured to engage opposing edges of an incision in a patient; and a fulcrum device comprising: a first fulcrum slot and a second fulcrum slot formed through opposing edges of said fulcrum device; and a window-like opening between the first fulcrum slot and the second fulcrum slot, wherein said first fulcrum slot receives said first grasping bar and said second fulcrum slot receives said second grasping bar, wherein said first retractor blade and said second retractor blade support said fulcrum device in a vertical orientation in which the first fulcrum slot is disposed above the second fulcrum slot, wherein said fulcrum device is configured to apply leverage from said first retractor blade and said second retractor blade to spread the edges of the incision in a vertical direction, and wherein said window-like opening is configured to allow access to a chest cavity of the patient in a horizontal direction therethrough when the leverage from said first retractor blade and said second retractor blade has spread the edges of the incision in the vertical direction.