where the muscle tissue to stripped or detached from the skeletal structure will usually reduce the morbidity associated with the standard invasive technique the procedure to utilizing the retractor system of the present invention starts with the identification of the correct entry point the proper trajectory from the skin to the pathology to be addressed as well as the point of incision after the initial incision has been made through the patient based anchoring pad and into the skin the initial soft tissue dilator is inserted through the incision and forcefully advanced to the objective site the initial dilator is 6 mm in diameter and round in cross section thereafter a series of progressively larger dilators are inserted over the initial dilator increasing in diameter until the final operative dilator is inserted the final operative dilator is oblong in cross section once the final operative oblong dilator is in place it is then rotated ninety degrees by tool 30 and then counter rotated ninety degrees back to its initial position the retractor 1 is then placed over the final operative dilator and forcefully advanced to the objective site once in position the retractor is then rotated ninety degrees by using a tool 30 thereafter the initial and final dilators are removed following removal of the dilators used for initial delivery a series of expansion dilators are inserted into the center of the retractor 1 to expand the open area or portal within the retractor these expansion dilators are circular in.