Surgical method utilizing a soft-tipped anvil

1. A surgical method for treating a tissue structure having a wall and a lumen, the method comprising:

providing a surgical device having a substantially rigid anvil and a flexible tip affixed to and extending from a distal end of said anvil, wherein the flexible tip comprises a length of spirally-wound wire;

making an incision in the wall of the tissue structure;

inserting said flexible tip and at least a portion of said rigid anvil through the incision into the lumen of the tissue structure; and

deforming at least one connector, introduced from outside the wall of the tissue structure, against said portion of said rigid anvil that is located within the lumen of the tissue structure, to apply said at least one connector to the tissue structure.

2. The surgical method of claim 1 , wherein said flexible tip includes a central core extendable therefrom and retractable thereinto, and wherein making the incision comprises:

extending a distal end of said central core from said flexible tip; and

penetrating the distal end of said central core completely through the wall of the tissue structure.

3. The surgical method of claim 2 , wherein extending the distal end of said central core comprises extending said central core through an outer surface of said flexible tip, and wherein inserting said flexible tip comprises inserting said tip until a tissue stop attached to said central core outside of said flexible tip encounters an edge of the incision.

4. The surgical method of claim 1 , wherein making the incision comprises using said flexible tip to make the incision.

5. The surgical method of claim 1 , further comprising enlarging the incision by inserting said flexible tip through the incision.

6. The surgical method of claim 1 , wherein the tissue structure comprises a blood vessel, and wherein deforming said at least one connector connects a graft to a wall of the blood vessel.

7. A surgical method for applying staples to a tissue structure having a wall and a lumen, the method comprising:

providing a surgical stapler having a substantially rigid anvil, a flexible tip affixed to and extending from a distal end of said anvil, wherein said flexible tip comprises a length of spirally-wound wire, a staple holder associated with said anvil, and a plurality of staples held by said staple holder;

making an incision in the wall of the tissue structure;

inserting said flexible tip and at least a portion of said rigid anvil through the incision into the lumen of the tissue structure;

maintaining said staple holder outside the lumen and the wall of the tissue structure;

urging at least some of said plurality of staples from said staple holder toward the wall of the tissue structure and said anvil; and

deforming said urged staples, introduced from outside the wall of the tissue structure, against said portion of said rigid anvil that is located within the lumen of the tissue structure, to apply said urged staples to the tissue structure.

8. The surgical method of claim 7 , wherein the tissue structure comprises a blood vessel, and wherein deforming said urged staples connects a graft to a wall of the blood vessel.