Patent ID: 7766931

Claim:
A method of supporting tissue using a compressive force on the tissue during a medical procedure without obstructing the area of a medical procedure, comprising: adhesively adhering directly to a patient's skin an adhesive surface of a first anchor pad, the first anchor pad having a pad length and a pad width, the first anchor pad having an opposing first selective attachment surface facing away from the adhesive surface, the first selective attachment surface including a hook portion of a hook and loop fastener; adhesively adhering an adhesive surface of a second anchor pad to a second anchoring location such that the area of the medical procedure is not between the first and the second anchor pads, the second anchor pad having a pad length and a pad width, the second anchor pad having an opposing second selective attachment surface facing away from the adhesive surface, the second selective attachment surface of the second anchor pad including a hook portion of a hook and loop fastener; attaching a first portion of an elongated tension member to one of the first and second selective attachment surfaces of the respective first and the second anchor pads, the first portion including a third selective attachment surface having a loop portion of the hook and loop fastener; applying a force on tissue of the patient; attaching a second portion of the elongated tension member to the other of the first and second selective attachment surfaces of the respective first and the second anchor pads in a manner that the elongated tension member spans the distance between the first and second anchor pads and is located so as to not obstruct access to the area of the medical procedure; and maintaining a force on the tissue with the elongated tension member and the first and second anchor pads while performing the medical procedure.