Patent ID: 7087066

Claim:
A method for anastomosing a first hollow tissue structure to a second hollow tissue structure having an opening, the method comprising the steps of: providing an anastomosis device comprising at least one tissue securing element having a first end and a second end, the tissue securing element comprised of a material capable of being biased from an unbiased configuration to a biased configuration; passing at least the first end of the at least one tissue securing element through the first hollow tissue structure: holding the at least one tissue securing element in the biased configuration; inserting at least the first end of the at least one tissue securing element through an opening in a second hollow tissue structure while the tissue securing element is in the biased configuration; and permitting the tissue securing element to move from the biased configuration to the unbiased configuration such that the first end and the second end of the tissue securing element compress a portion of the end of a first hollow tissue structure and a portion of the second hollow tissue structure adjacent to the opening.