Another use of the Foley catheter: retraction for operations on the floor of mouth and ventral aspect of the tongue

A Foley catheter that is passed through the nose and sutured to the tip of the tongue can be used to facilitate retraction for operations on lesions on the ventral aspect of the tongue and the floor of the mouth. It provides excellent access and is simple, inexpensive, atraumatic, minimises frustration, reduces the operating time, and eliminates some of the difficulties associated with the use of metal retractors.