Patent ID: 8876712

Claim:
A surgical stabilizer for use with a surgical site retractor and an elongated port-access device having a tube, comprising: a base defining a periphery having a size that enables it to be held against an exterior chest wall by the surgical site retractor and around an intercostal chest incision with the base extending over a first rib on a first side of the intercostal chest incision while simultaneously extending over a second rib on a second side of the intercostal chest incision, wherein the first side is opposite to the second side; a first arm attached to and extending away from the base and capable of being bent into and retaining a variety of shapes; and a distal cuff attached to the first arm opposite the base, the cuff having a stiff C-shaped partial ring and a flexible gasket held across an area defined within the C-shaped partial ring, the gasket having a slit directed toward an open mouth of the C-shaped partial ring, the open mouth being sized larger than the tube of the port-access device such that the cuff can be pressed around the tube, or vice versa, with the tube entering the slit and being resiliently held by the gasket.