Patent ID: 7666197

Claim:
An apparatus for approximating body vessels, comprising: at least one fastener including: a first fastener portion having an anchoring leg portion and a locking leg portion; a second fastener portion having an anchoring leg portion and a locking leg portion, wherein the first and second fastener portions are operatively associated with one another by an interconnecting feature allowing for selectively fixing the position of the first fastener portion and the second fastener portion with respect to one another; and wherein at least one of the first fastener portion and the second fastener portion has a first position in which the anchoring leg portion is adjacent the locking leg portion and a second position in which the anchoring leg portion is spaced a distance from the locking leg portion; a suture operably associated with the anchoring leg portion of at least one of the first fastener portion and the second fastener portion wherein the anchoring leg portion of at least one of the first and second fastener portions is repositionable between the first and second positions upon manipulation of the suture; a first member configured and adapted to engage the first fastener portion; and a second member configured and adapted to engage the second fastener portion, the first member and the second member being movable with respect to one another to move the first fastener portion and second fastener portion with respect to one another.