Provided is a retractor that makes it possible to reduce operation costs, is less likely to cause damage to surgical incision sites, do not reduce workability, and also makes it possible to easily maintain the desired surgical field and to change the surgical field or widen or narrow the area of the surgical field, depending on the surgical situation. The retractor 1 for holding a surgical incision open and maintaining a surgical field during an operation includes a belt-shaped body A made of a wire; and a connecting part B that is provided at one end portion of the belt-shaped body A and capable of being connected to another end portion or an intermediate portion of the belt-shaped body A so that the belt-shaped body A can be formed into a loop of a desired size. The retractor 1 is so configured that when the belt-shaped body A is formed into a loop, the outer surface of the belt-shaped body A resists the force generated at the surgical incision and acting in such a direction as to close the surgical incision.