Patent ID: 8308638

Claim:
A method for temporarily repositioning tissue in a surgical procedure comprising: inserting a temporary tissue repositioning device through an incision into a body cavity, the temporary tissue repositioning device comprising: a bendable frame comprising: a first axis and a second axis intersecting the first axis; a surface defined by the first axis and the second axis; a first side and a second side defined by the surface; a plurality of elongate first bending portions parallel to the first axis and parallel to each other; and a plurality of second bending portions, operatively coupled to the first bending portions; and a fabric cover disposed over the first side of the frame, the fabric cover adapted to retain tissue and the fabric cover defining a tissue retention surface, wherein the bendable frame is reversibly and manually bendable between a first state and a second state; in the first state, the bendable frame is flattened such that the tissue retention surface is generally planar; in the second state, the bendable frame is bent into a nonplanar configuration such that the tissue retention surface is nonplanar; the frame in the first state remains in the first state; the frame in the second state remains in the second state; and the fabric cover disposed over the first side conforms to the surface in the first state and the second state; wherein inserting the temporary tissue repositioning device through the incision into the body cavity comprises inserting the temporary tissue repositioning device through the incision into an abdominal cavity; deforming the repositioning device into the second state; and repositioning tissue away from a surgical workplace.