Patent ID: 7112212

Claim:
A method of repairing a damaged blood vessel comprising the steps of removing a damaged portion of a blood vessel, providing a tubular graft, positioning the tubular graft at least partially within a tubular anvil sleeve having an exterior surface, folding an end portion of the tubular graft projecting beyond the tubular anvil sleeve into overylying relationship to the tubular anvil sleeve exterior surface, inserting the folded end portion and tubular anvil sleeve into a remaining end of the blood vessel from which the damaged vessel portion was removed, driving staples through the blood vessel remaining end and the folded over end portion to effect staple closure against the tubular anvil sleeve exterior surface, axially sliding the tubular anvil sleeve to effect the withdrawal thereof from the stapled folded end portion, and after the axial sliding withdrawal of the tubular annular sleeve from the stapled folded end portion separating the tubular anvil sleeve along a chordal plane to effect the removal of the tubular anvil sleeve from the tubular graft.