Deaver Retractor 1"×12": Surgical Solid Handle Medical Stainless Steel Instruments. Deaver Retractor (12 inch) is a large, handheld retractor commonly used to hold back the abdominal wall during abdominal or thoracic procedures. It may also be used to move or hold organs away from the surgical site. The Deaver retractor is shaped like a question mark with a thin, flat blade. The retractors are built with the basic concept of holding the tissue or the viscera to keep the operator's field of surgery clear. Deaver is a deep tissue retractor hence it is used to retract viscera like liver, stomach, duodenum etc.