A surgical retractor has a plurality of lights affixed to a blade thereof, that can illuminate a wound of a patient during operation. The lights can be on a distal end of the blade and/or an interior or exterior surface of the blade, so that the user can control the lighting on the retractor to suit the particular needs of a particular application. The lights can be powered by a battery compartment within the handle, allowing for untethered operation of the retractor.
