Devices and methods are disclosed for stabilizing tissue within a
patient's body during a surgical operation to provide a relatively
motionless surgical field, such as during a coronary artery bypass graft
procedure. The devices include tissue stabilizers which engage and
provide stabilization to a targeted area of tissue and further have the
ability to engage and manipulate some portion of tissue within or
adjacent the targeted area to improve the surgical presentation of that
portion of tissue. The tissue stabilizer typically has one or more
stabilizer feet which have a first foot portion configured to provide
stabilization to the targeted tissue and a second foot portion moveable
relative to the first foot portion for manipulating a portion of tissue
to improve the surgical presentation.