Surgical stapler for aortic anastomosis
A method for connecting a graft vessel to a target vessel may involve advancing a guidewire of a surgical stapler into the target vessel through an opening at a first location on the target vessel, coupling a stapler cartridge carrying the graft vessel with an anvil of the surgical stapler, activating the anvil to staple the graft vessel to the target vessel at a second location on the target vessel, removing the guidewire from the target vessel, and closing the opening in the target vessel.
1. A surgical stapler used to connect a graft vessel to a target vessel, the stapler comprising:
a handle;
a flexible shaft coupled to said handle;
an anvil positioned at a distal end of said flexible shaft;
a guidewire extending distally from said anvil;
a staple cartridge attached to the anvil; and
a graft loader configured to load the graft vessel onto the staple cartridge,
wherein the graft loader is detachably coupled to the staple cartridge, and
wherein the staple cartridge is removably coupled to said anvil.
2. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said staple cartridge further comprises at least two graft clamps configured to hold an end of the graft vessel.
3. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said staple cartridge includes a plurality of staples, said staples arranged in four discrete spaced-apart rows.
4. The surgical stapler of claim 3 , wherein said handle further comprises an actuator configured to drive said staples into the graft vessel and the target vessel.
5. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said guidewire is fabricated from nickel-titanium alloy.
6. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of said guidewire is pointed.
7. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein said guidewire is between 2 centimeters and 20 centimeters in length.
8. The surgical stapler of claim 1 , wherein the graft loader comprises a graft piercer for piercing the graft vessel.
9. A surgical stapler used to connect a graft vessel to a target vessel, the stapler comprising:
a handle;
a shaft coupled to said handle;
an anvil positioned at a distal end of said flexible shaft;
a guidewire extending distally from said anvil;
a staple cartridge removably coupled to said anvil; and
a graft loader configured to load the graft vessel onto said staple cartridge,
wherein said staple cartridge further comprises at least two graft clamps configured to hold an end of the graft vessel, and
wherein the graft loader is detachably coupled to the staple cartridge.
10. The surgical stapler of claim 9 , wherein said staple cartridge includes a plurality of staples, said staples arranged in four discrete spaced-apart rows.
11. The surgical stapler of claim 10 , wherein said staple cartridge further comprises a heel staple located proximal to and laterally between said staple rows.
12. The surgical stapler of claim 9 , wherein the distal end of said guidewire is pointed, whereby said distal end of said guidewire is configured to puncture the target vessel.
13. The surgical stapler of claim 9 , wherein said shaft is flexible.
14. The surgical stapler of claim 9 , wherein said shaft comprises a rigid shaft and a flexible shaft, wherein the distal end of said rigid shaft is attached to the proximal end of said flexible shaft.
15. The surgical stapler of claim 9 , wherein the graft loader comprises a graft piercer for piercing the graft vessel.
16. A surgical stapler used to connect a graft vessel to a target vessel, the stapler comprising:
a handle;
a flexible shaft coupled to said handle;
an anvil positioned at a distal end of said flexible shaft;
a guidewire extending distally from said anvil;
a staple cartridge attached to the anvil; and
a graft loader configured to load the graft vessel onto the staple cartridge,
wherein the staple cartridge is coupled to the graft loader, and
wherein the staple cartridge is clipped into the graft loader.
17. A surgical stapler used to connect a graft vessel to a target vessel, the stapler comprising:
a handle;
a flexible shaft coupled to said handle;
an anvil positioned at a distal end of said flexible shaft;
a guidewire extending distally from said anvil;
a staple cartridge attached to the anvil; and
a graft loader configured to load the graft vessel onto the staple cartridge,
wherein the staple cartridge is coupled to the graft loader,
wherein the graft loader comprises a graft piercer for piercing the graft vessel to temporarily hold the graft vessel in place relative to the staple cartridge until the graft vessel is loaded onto the staple cartridge, and
wherein the graft piercer is raisable to release the staple cartridge from the graft loader.