Patent ID: 7004175

Claim:
A method of bypassing a restriction in an artery of a mammal having an aorta, the method comprising: providing a graft having a body portion with a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending therebetween, wherein the graft includes a removable tip portion extending from a distal end of a catheter; forming an aperture in the aorta; inserting the graft into the aorta; connecting the first end of the graft to the aorta about the aperture in the aorta; advancing the body portion of the graft through the aperture in the aorta; forming an aperture in the artery distal of the restriction by advancing a wire across the restriction and forming the aperture in the artery with the wire; connecting the second end of the graft to the artery about the aperture therein such that the lumen in the graft communicates with the aorta and the artery; and detaching the graft from the distal end of the catheter.