Exploratory surgery of the cranial abdomen in larger dogs presents difficulties of access for all surgeons, but especially when a scrubbed assistant is unavailable. The traditional Balfour retractor is an ideal instrument for this application in theory, but its practical application is limited by the fact that it is simply too large to fit in the typical benchtop autoclave found in general practice. This modified version allows both arms to be removed from the cross piece, making it small enough to fit easily into a small autoclave. The arm of the “spoon” has also been slightly shortened to achieve this aim. This retractor is ideal for creating exposure for gastric surgery (especially gastropexy) as well as surgery of the liver and ruptured diaphragm repair. The central blade in the Balfour slides freely on the back bar and automatically self centers. If the lesion or organ of interest is off centre this is undesirable. The Balfour locking ring fits onto the back bar and may be locked in any position, holding the blade off centre. The Balfour locking ring fits all VI Balfours.