Systems for forming an anastomosis

1. A compression plate anastomosis system, comprising:

an anvil apparatus comprising

an anvil comprising a landing between an engaging end and a terminal end, and

an anvil pull extending from the engaging end of the anvil and configured to control the movement of the anvil;

a compression plate apparatus comprising

a first compression plate comprising a first ring and a first plurality of holding tabs extending from the first ring, wherein said first plurality of holding tabs defines a first compression plate opening; and

a second compression plate having a second compression plate opening;

wherein the engaging end and the landing of the anvil are sized for movement within the first compression plate opening in a manner that permits a part of a wall of a first vessel at an anastomosis site to be held between the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs of the first compression plate without penetration of the held part;

wherein the landing and the first plurality of holding tabs are sized relative to each other such that the landing is sufficiently longer than the length of the first plurality of holding tabs to permit at least a portion of a region of the wall of the first vessel extending beyond the part held between the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs to rest on the landing of the anvil after formation of an anastomosis opening in the first vessel;

wherein the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs are sized to permit the part of the wall of the first vessel held between the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs of the first compression plate to be held with sufficient force to prevent movement of the held part as the first vessel portion is moved on the landing by the second compression plate such that the first vessel portion becomes at least partially everted over the first plurality of holding tabs of the first compression plate.

2. The compression plate anastomosis system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the landing of said anvil is cylindrical.

3. The compression plate anastomosis system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the engaging end of said anvil is flat.

4. The compression plate anastomosis system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the engaging end of said anvil means is convex.

5. The compression plate anastomosis system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each holding tab of the first plurality of holding tabs extends nonperpendicularly from the first ring.

6. The compression plate anastomosis system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each holding tab terminates at a rounded tip.

7. The compression plate anastomosis apparatus system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first compression plate and the second compression plate have mated locking components to lock the compression plates together such that the first vessel portion is held between the first plurality of holding tabs and a second plurality of holding tabs, which extend from a second ring of the second anastomosis plate, without being penetrated.

8. The compression plate anastomosis apparatus system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first compression plate opening and the second compression plate opening are generally circular.

9. The compression plate anastomosis apparatus system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first compression plate opening and the second compression plate opening are noncircular.

10. The compression plate anastomosis system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second compression plates each have locking components that lock into place when the compression plates are brought together.

11. The compression plate anastomosis system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first plurality of holding tabs and the second plurality of holding tabs are in a mated configuration when the first vessel portion is held between the first plurality of holding tabs and the second plurality of holding tabs.

12. A compression plate anastomosis system, comprising:

an anvil apparatus comprising

an anvil comprising a landing between an engaging end and a terminal end;

a component extending from the anvil and configured to control the movement of the anvil;

a compression plate apparatus comprising

a first compression plate comprising a first ring and a first plurality of holding tabs extending from the first ring, wherein said first plurality of holding tabs defines a first compression plate opening;

wherein the engaging end and the landing of the anvil are sized for movement within the first compression plate opening in a manner that permits a part of a wall of a vessel at an anastomosis site to be held between the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs of the first compression plate without penetration of the held part;

wherein the landing and the first plurality of holding tabs are sized relative to each other such that the landing is sufficiently longer than the length of the first plurality of holding tabs to permit at least a portion of a region of the wall of the vessel extending beyond the part held between the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs to rest on the landing of the anvil.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the engaging end of the anvil is flat.

14. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the engaging end of the anvil is convex.

15. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the landing of the anvil is cylindrical.

16. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein each holding tab of the first plurality of holding tabs extends nonperpendicularly from the first ring.

17. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein each holding tab terminates at a rounded tip.

18. A compression plate anastomosis system, comprising:

an anvil apparatus comprising

an anvil comprising a landing between an engaging end and a terminal end;

a component extending from the anvil and configured to control the movement of the anvil;

a cutting device; and

a compression plate apparatus comprising

a first compression plate comprising a first ring and a first plurality of holding tabs extending from the first ring, wherein said first plurality of holding tabs defines a first compression plate opening having a perimeter;

a second compression plate having a second compression plate opening;

wherein the engaging end and the landing of the anvil are sized for movement within the first compression plate opening in a manner that permits a part of a wall of a vessel at an anastomosis site to be held between the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs of the first compression plate without penetration of the held part;

wherein the landing and the first plurality of holding tabs are sized relative to each other such that the landing is sufficiently longer than the length of the first plurality of holding tabs to permit at least a portion of a region of the wall of the vessel extending beyond the part held between the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs to rest on the landing of the anvil after formation of an anastomosis opening in the vessel through engagement of the cutting device and the engaging end of the anvil; and

wherein the landing of the anvil and the first compression plate opening are sized to permit the part of the wall of the vessel held between the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs of the first compression plate to be held with sufficient force to prevent movement of the held part as the vessel portion is cut through engagement of the cutting device and the engaging end of the anvil.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the engaging end of the anvil is flat.

20. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the engaging end of the anvil is convex.

21. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the landing of the anvil is cylindrical.

22. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein each holding tab of the first plurality of holding tabs extends nonperpendicularly from the first ring.

23. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein each holding tab terminates at a rounded tip.

24. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the cutting device is a cutter.

25. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the cutting device comprises a cutting knife with a cutting edge, and wherein the anastomosis opening is formed as the cutting edge engages the engaging end of the anvil at a location with a perimeter that is larger than the perimeter of the cutting edge.

26. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the cutting device comprises a cutting knife with a cutting edge, and wherein the perimeter of the cutting edge is circular such that the perimeter of the anastomosis opening is circular.

27. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein an anvil pull extends from the anvil and through a piercing located in the extended region of the wall before forming the anastomosis opening; and wherein the anvil pull is coaxially positioned in the cutting device.

28. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the landing of the anvil and the first compression plate opening are sized to permit the part of the wall of the vessel held between the landing of the anvil and the first plurality of holding tabs of the first compression plate to be held with sufficient force to prevent movement of the held part as the anvil is removed from the anastomosis site by moving the anvil through the first compression plate opening of the first compression plate and then through the second compression plate opening.

29. The system as recited in claim 28 , wherein removing the anvil from the anastomosis site by moving the anvil through the first compression plate opening of the first compression plate and then through the second compression plate opening removes a cut portion of the vessel portion formed through engagement of the cutting device and the engaging end of the anvil.