Freeman Face Lift Retractor, Adamson Model, Offset Prongs

What the freeman face lift retractor adamson is

The freeman face lift retractor adamson model is the wide headed member of the Freeman rake family, and it exists for one job: lifting a large facial flap in a single bite instead of two or three.

Catalogs also write it as the Adamson model rhytidectomy retractor, after the surgeon who set the shape. What Adamson changed was not the width alone. On most versions the prongs sit on an offset or triangular bend, and two of the four are recessed behind the outer pair, so the flap loads onto four points at two different depths rather than four points on one line.

The effect is that the pull spreads through the thickness of the tissue instead of concentrating at the surface, which is what lets a wide head take a big flap without the outer prongs doing all the work.

Key design features of this adamson model retractor

Four features, and the second one is what separates this from the plain Freeman.

• A wide head. The broadest of the Freeman rakes, for flap elevation in one movement.
• An offset or triangular bend. The prongs are carried off the line of the shaft, so the hand stays clear of the field.
• Two recessed prongs. On most versions the inner pair sits behind the outer pair, spreading the load through the tissue plane.
• Four sharp prongs. The family count, ground and polished so nothing tears.

Freeman face lift retractor adamson size

This table is short, and the reason is in the last row rather than the first.

Our own record carries an item code for this pattern and no dimensions at all. Other catalogs put the Adamson head between 37 mm and 40 mm and the instrument at about 18 cm, and neither figure is repeated here as ours, because neither has been measured here. Ask and it will be, before any bulk order ships.

Where a freeman adamson retractor is used

A freeman adamson retractor is reached for when the flap is big and the plane is open.

What the prongs hold, and what they do not

A wide head changes what the instrument is good at, in both directions.

How the adamson facelift rake compares with the rest of the family

Five of the six rows below are instruments we make. The adamson facelift rake sits at the wide end of a family that runs from a 10 cm mini up to a 50 mm blade.

Materials and finish

Made from high quality medical grade stainless steel, satin finished so the operating light does not throw a reflection off the shaft into the field. The steel itself is made to a German specification. The bend is formed rather than welded, because a welded joint on a retractor that is carrying a whole flap is a joint that will eventually move.

Care and sterilization

Clean with a soft brush under running water, working between the prongs and into the angle of the bend where fat collects and is easy to miss, then rinse in deionized water and dry fully before autoclaving. Store on a rack or under a tip guard. Check the recessed prongs specifically: if one of the inner pair has been bent forward into line with the outer pair, the head no longer spreads the load the way the pattern is meant to.

Ordering and wholesale

Adas Instruments makes this pattern to order and supplies hospitals, surgical centers and distributors across the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia. Item code AP-66.37. Bulk and wholesale pricing is available, and instruments held on backorder ship in 10 to 12 working days. Every instrument carries a three year replacement warranty against manufacturing defects. Certifications: CE. Production is controlled under an ISO 13485 quality management system.

Frequently asked questions

What is a freeman face lift retractor adamson used for?

Holding a large cervicofacial flap back through a rhytidectomy. The wide head means the flap is engaged once and stays engaged, rather than being released and re-taken as the dissection moves along, which is the main reason a surgeon asks for the Adamson rather than the standard head.

How is the freeman face lift retractor adamson different from a standard freeman?

Width and prong layout. The standard pattern runs 22 mm or 36 mm with the prongs in a single line or on a simple offset. The Adamson is wider, the bend is offset or triangular, and on most versions two prongs are recessed behind the other two so the load spreads through the tissue rather than across its surface.

What head width does the freeman face lift retractor adamson have?

Our own product record does not carry one, and that is stated here rather than covered over. Other catalogs publish 37 mm to 40 mm for this pattern. We will measure and confirm the head on the instruments we hold before a bulk order goes out.

Does it work in a deep plane facelift?

Yes, on the skin flap side. Once the dissection is at the SMAS layer itself, many surgeons change to a smooth blade, because prongs at that depth engage tissue you may not want engaged. That is a judgement about the plane, not about the instrument.

Are the prongs sharp or blunt?

Sharp. Every rake in the Freeman family is sharp, which is what lets it hold a flap without a clamp. If nothing in the field may be pierced, the answer is a blade pattern instead, not a blunt version of this one.

Related products and categories

Buyers who order the freeman face lift retractor adamson model usually order alongside it the freeman flap retractor, the biggs face lift retractor and the freeman face lift retractor. The whole family sits in hooks and retractors, and this pattern is also listed under facelift and neck lift instruments.