A hand-held manual surgical instrument designed to separate or draw aside the edges of an incision in the heart, various anatomical structures of the heart (e.g., an atrium or aortic valve), or the entire organ. It consists of a handle proximally and a wire frame-like blade, with no sharp edges, that can have various shapes and angles at the distal tip. It is made of high-grade stainless steel and may have a synthetic material for the handle (e.g., Tufnol). This is a reusable device.