Patent ID: 7634828

Claim:
A method for supporting the shoulders and arms of a surgical patient lying in a lateral position on an operating table having an arm board extending outwardly from a side of the operating table, wherein both of the patient's arms extend laterally outward from the side of the operating table, said supporting method comprising the steps of: a. placing a bottom arm of the patient on the arm board of the operating table; b. telescoping a bottom arm channel of a surgical arm pillow over the patient's bottom arm such that at least a portion of the arm board on which the patient's bottom arm has been placed is also received in the bottom arm channel; c. placing the top arm of the patient in a top arm support channel of the surgical arm pillow; d. routing intravenous lines and physiological monitoring leads attached to the patient's arms through a slot extending from a side of the pillow into the top arm support channel; and e. affixing the surgical arm pillow to of the arm board to secure the pillow to the arm board.