NUCA Santvana Brain Retractor
A New Era in Neurosurgical Innovation
Retraction. Irrigation. Suction. One system.
Three surgical functions engineered into a single silicone-tipped platform — built to move the way the anatomy demands, not the other way around.
Engineered for control, precision, and workflow.
The NUCA Santvana Brain Retractor is a next-generation neurosurgical retraction system developed by NUCA Scientific Pvt. Ltd. through Value-Driven Innovation, in collaboration with Dr. Iype Cherian — internationally renowned neurosurgeon and Chair of the Innovations Committee, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS).
The system is engineered to provide surgeons with greater control, improved workflow, and enhanced surgical precision — while minimizing the need for additional manual assistance within the operative field.
A single platform, redesigned from the tip up.
Multi-Directional Retraction
Highly flexible positioning allows precise brain retraction from virtually any angle, providing exceptional control throughout the surgical procedure.
Integrated Peristaltic Irrigation
On-demand irrigation can be activated directly by the surgeon without interrupting the procedure, helping maintain a clear operative field.
Continuous Adjustable Suction
Provides continuous suction with adjustable settings to maintain optimal visibility while allowing customization according to surgical requirements.
Compact Integrated Platform
A single integrated system that combines retraction, irrigation, and suction — improving surgical workflow while reducing operative complexity.
Designed through close collaboration between surgeons and engineers, the NUCA Santvana Brain Retractor reflects NUCA Scientific's commitment to developing advanced surgical technologies that are not only innovative but also practical, accessible, and affordable.
Introduced to the world at ACNS 2026.
The NUCA Santvana Brain Retractor will be introduced to the global neurosurgical community during the 15th Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons (ACNS 2026), to be held in Mumbai, India, where leading neurosurgeons, researchers, and clinicians from around the world will experience this next-generation innovation.
When we set out to reimagine Prof. Yasargil's Leyla retractor, we didn't take the challenge lightly — his design has anchored skull base and microneurosurgery for decades. But every neurosurgeon who has worked with the original knows its limitations: the weight of steel, the rigidity of fixed-angle placement, and the absence of any way to manage the field without reaching for separate suction and irrigation.
Santvana was born from asking what a retractor could be if we let go of those constraints.
We began by replacing steel with silicone, cutting the weight dramatically without compromising the stability surgeons depend on. For the holder mechanism, we looked outside neurosurgery entirely — to the octopus-style retractor holders used in cardiac surgery — and adapted that flexibility to our field.
The most significant departure, though, is at the tip. Where the original Leyla retractor constrained you to fixed directions, Santvana's slotted tip design allows placement in virtually any orientation the anatomy demands. And by integrating irrigation and suction directly into the retractor, we've made it possible to maintain a clean, wet-or-dry field without interrupting the flow of surgery.
Santvana isn't an incremental update — it's a rethinking of what a retractor should do for the surgeon. We built it because we believe our colleagues worldwide deserve tools shaped by the operating room, not just adapted from it.
— Dr. Iype Cherian General Counsellor – Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons (ACNS)Chairman – Innovations & Technology Committee, World Federation of Neurological Societies (WFNS)
Founder & President – Neurosurgery Coach
Director of Neurosciences, Parul University, Vadodara