Apparatus for controlling flow in a bodily organ

1. A surgical method of treating a patient, comprising the steps of:

cutting the patient's skin and abdominal wall,

dissecting an area of an intestine of the patient's,

dissecting a portion of the dissected intestinal area such that intestinal mesentery connected thereto is opened in such a way that supply of blood through the mesentery to the dissected intestinal area is maintained on both sides of the dissected portion,

dividing the patient's intestine in the dissected portion so as to create an upstream part of the intestine with a first intestinal opening and a downstream part of the intestine with a second intestinal opening with the mesentery still maintaining a tissue connection between the upstream and downstream intestine parts,

connecting at least one of the first intestinal opening and the second intestinal opening to an artificial reservoir and securing the intestine to the artificial reservoir so as to receive and temporarily collect therein intestinal contents from the patient's intestine.

2. The surgical method according to claim 1 wherein the step of cutting the patient's skin and abdominal wall, comprising:

making a small opening in the patient's skin and abdominal wall,

introducing a needle in the abdominal cavity,

inflating an abdominal cavity with gas,

inserting a first and a second trocar into the abdominal cavity,

introducing a camera through the first trocar,

inserting at least one dissecting instrument through the second trocar, wherein the step of dissecting an area of the patient's intestine, comprises the steps of:

dissecting an area of the intestine, using at least the at least one dissecting instrument, wherein the step of dissecting a portion of the dissected intestinal area such that intestinal mesentery connected thereto is opened, is performed with the instrument, and

wherein the step of dividing the patient's intestine in the dissected portion, is performed with the instrument, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

extracting the instrument, camera and trocars.

3. The surgical method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

advancing a downstream opening of the downstream intestine part through a surgically performed opening in the abdominal wall and skin, and

suturing the downstream opening to the skin with an intestinal mucosa, thereby achieving an intestinal stoma.

4. The surgical method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

dissecting an area of an anus of the patient,

advancing the second opening of the downstream intestine part in at least one of the following steps:

through the anus,

connecting the downstream intestine part to the anus, and

connecting the downstream intestine part to the anus via another intestinal section, and

suturing the downstream opening or the another intestinal section to the patient's anus or tissue adjacent the patient's anus.

5. The surgical method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising the steps of: introducing at least one conduit into at least one of said first intestinal opening and said second intestinal opening.

6. The surgical method according to claim 5 , comprising the further steps of: covering at least partly an intestine introduced onto the conduit with a sleeve.

7. The surgical method according to claim 1 , comprising the further steps of: implanting a flow control device so as to permanently reside inside the patient's body and be adapted to control flow of intestinal contents from the reservoir through the downstream intestine part.

8. The surgical method according to claim 7 , wherein the flow control device comprises an exit valve preventing intestinal contents from flowing through the valve in its closed position, and wherein the step of implanting the flow control device comprises:

connecting the exit valve to the intestine.

9. The surgical method according to claim 8 , wherein the step of connecting the exit valve to the intestine comprises the step of: affixing the exit valve to a portion of the patient's intestine leading to the patient's anus.

10. The surgical method according to claim 8 , wherein the step of connecting the exit valve to the intestine comprises the step of: surgically creating an artificial stoma in the patient's abdominal wall and skin and affixing the exit valve to the surgically created stoma or intestine leading to the stoma.

11. The surgical method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of placing the flow control device comprises: implanting the flow control device outside and adjacent to a section of the intestine downstream of the reservoir so as to allow acting on said intestine section from the outside and acting as an exit valve.

12. The surgical method according to claim 7 , wherein the flow control device comprises a pump for emptying the reservoir and wherein the step of implanting the flow control device comprises implanting the pump in the patient's abdomen in at least one of the following locations:

separately from, but in close proximity to, the reservoir so that the pump can act on the reservoir from the outside thereof,

in the patient's abdomen fixedly connected to the reservoir, and

in the reservoir so that the pump can act on the intestinal contents in the reservoir from the inside of the reservoir.

13. The surgical method according to claim 12 , wherein the flow control device comprises an actuator for manually driving the pump and wherein the step of implanting the flow control device comprises implanting the actuator subcutaneously so as to be operable from outside the patient's body.

14. The surgical method according to claim 7 , further comprising the step of implanting at least one motor for automatically driving one or more elements of the flow control device.

15. The surgical method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of dividing the patient's intestine in the dissected portion so as to create an upstream part of the intestine with a first intestinal opening and a downstream part of the intestine with a second intestinal opening further comprises the step of: surgically cutting the artificial intestinal opening at a lateral wall of the intestine so as to create a lateral artificial intestinal opening.

16. The surgical method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of connecting at least one of the first intestinal opening and the second intestinal opening to an artificial reservoir and securing the intestine to the artificial reservoir, comprises

connecting a conduit to the intestine by inserting an end of the conduit into at least one of the first intestinal opening and the second intestinal opening.

17. The surgical method according to claim 16 , further comprising placing a flexible sleeve so as to extend over the intestine and conduit such that at least part of the intestine is located intermediate the sleeve and the outer surface of the conduit.

18. The surgical method according to claim 17 , wherein the flexible sleeve is mounted on the outer surface of the conduit so as to be foldable upon itself and wherein the step of placing the flexible sleeve so as to extend over the intestine and conduit comprises:

folding the flexible sleeve upon itself such that at least part of the intestine is located intermediate the folded sleeve.

19. The surgical method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of connecting a conduit to the intestine comprises:

connecting the conduit having a bulge formed on the outside thereof by inserting an end of the conduit into at least one of the first intestinal opening and the second intestinal opening so that the intestine extends over the bulge from one side of the bulge, and

advancing a blocking ring over the intestine towards the bulge from a respective other side of the bulge such that the intestine is located intermediate the conduit's outer surface and the blocking ring.

20. The surgical method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising the step of implanting a manually operable switch subcutaneously or in another location in the body to be operable from outside the patient's body for activating a motor, a pump, or other energy consuming parts of the artificial reservoir implanted in the body.

21. The surgical method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising implanting an accumulator for accumulating energy, allowing to post operatively be able to wirelessly charge the accumulator with energy, and supply energy from the accumulator directly or indirectly to at least one energy consuming part of the artificial reservoir.

22. The surgical method according to claim 21 , wherein the accumulator is provided separate from the artificial reservoir and is arranged inside the patient's body at a distance from the artificial reservoir.