Patent ID: 7326231

Claim:
A method for retaining a graft on an artery comprising: a. providing a graft retention device comprising: i. a central section having an abutment surface, and ii. only two elongate members extending from the central section, the elongate members being resiliently biased into a open configuration in which the elongate members have a generally arcuate form curved away from each other so that the ends of the elongate members distal from the central section are spaced apart from one another, wherein: (1) the elongate members can be moved against said bias into a closed configuration in which said distal ends are closer together than in the open configuration, (2) said distal ends are adapted to pierce a graft on an artery wall when the device is in the lumen of the artery, so that the elongate members can be urged through the graft and artery wall, moving apart as they do so into the open configuration, in order to bring the abutment surface into contact with the graft, such that in use the graft is retained on the artery between said abutment surface and the distal ends of the elongate members with the resilient bias of the elongate members urging the abutment surface against the graft, b. moving the elongate members into the closed configuration, c. conveying the device along the artery to a locus of the graft wall, d. driving the distal ends of the elongate members into the graft and then the artery such that the elongate members move away from the closed configuration and towards the open configuration as they pierce the graft and artery, and e. continuing to drive the device through the graft and artery until the abutment surface abuts the graft wall, whereby the graft is retained on the artery by the device.