Surgical access sytem and related methods

Abstract

A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for accessing a surgical target site, comprising the steps of:
 a distraction system for creating a distraction corridor;   a retractor system dimensioned to be received within said distraction corridor, said retractor system having a plurality of retractor blades simultaneously introduced into said distraction corridor which are dimensioned to be simultaneously opened to create an operative corridor to said surgical target site.