초록 ▼

A cannula and surgical methods include a tubular body, for housing an endoscope having a lighted, viewing end disposed near the distal end of the body that is selectively covered by a blunt, transparent, tissue-separating tip. Endoscopic viewing through the tip is enhanced by inner walls that taper

A cannula and surgical methods include a tubular body, for housing an endoscope having a lighted, viewing end disposed near the distal end of the body that is selectively covered by a blunt, transparent, tissue-separating tip. Endoscopic viewing through the tip is enhanced by inner walls that taper to a cusp adjacent the blunt tip in order to reduce visual distortion. Alternatively, a removable or deflectable tip exposes a probe and endoscope to facilitate viewing and dissection of connective tissue and lateral vessels along the course of a blood vessel for subsequent harvesting or other treatment of the isolated blood vessel. The dissection probe includes a partial ring for passing along the vessel and past lateral branching vessels under visualization through the endoscope and the transparent tip. Surgical procedures including making an initial incision, above an artery or other vessel to establish an initial portion of an elongated working cavity of bluntly-dissected tissue. Lateral branches are doubly occluded, and then severed to isolate the vessel for harvesting and use as a graft conduit.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for endoscopic harvesting a selected segment of a blood vessel using an elongated cannula having a rigid tip on a distal end for bluntly dissecting tissue, the method comprising:forming an incision in skin overlying the vessel to expose the vessel;inserting the rigid

What is claimed is: 1. A method for endoscopic harvesting a selected segment of a blood vessel using an elongated cannula having a rigid tip on a distal end for bluntly dissecting tissue, the method comprising:forming an incision in skin overlying the vessel to expose the vessel;inserting the rigid tip of the cannula in the incision adjacent the exposed vessel;advancing the rigid tip of the cannula through tissue along the course of the vessel to bluntly dissect tissue in response to contact with the rigid tip and to separate the vessel from surrounding tissue to form a cavity adjacent the vessel along the selected segment thereof, wherein the rigid tip is advanced from a proximal end of the segment being harvested to a distal end of the segment being harvested;sealing the incision and insufflating with fluid under pressure the cavity formed by advancing the rigid tip through tissues;occluding and cutting side branches from the vessel along the selected segment thereof; andsealing and cutting the vessel at the proximal and distal ends of the selected segment within the cavity for removal through the incision.