Patent ID: 8349019

Claim:
A method for performing a surgical anastomosis, comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus for performing the surgical anastomosis, the apparatus comprising: a positioning tube defining a lumen therethrough, an expansion assembly having a tubular body and an expandable tip operatively coupled to a distal end thereof, the expandable tip having a first condition in which the expandable tip is configured for passage through the lumen of the positioning tube and a second condition in which the expandable tip is prevented from passage through the lumen of the positioning tube; and an anchoring assembly including: a flange member having an expandable annular body and a head portion integrally coupled to the expandable annular body and protruding radially therefrom, the annular body defining a passage therethrough for passage of the tubular body therethrough, the passage extending through the head portion and the annular body; and a locking member arranged to be received in the passage of the flange member, the locking member defining a lumen therethrough, the locking member being configured and adapted to radially deflect the expandable annular body upon insertion of the locking member within the passage of the annular body and to maintain the expandable annular body in the radially deflected configuration when the locking member is received in the passage of the flange member, the locking member being configured for operable engagement with the positioning tube such that the positioning tube is advanceable in a distal direction to drive the locking member distally with respect to the annular body, and the locking member being selectively releasable and separable from the positioning tube; passing the apparatus through a body lumen and through an opening in a body vessel such that the head portion of the flange member of the anchoring assembly is positioned within the body vessel; advancing the expansion assembly through the passage of the annular body of the anchoring assembly and into the body vessel such that the expandable tip is within the body vessel; expanding the expandable tip within the body vessel; withdrawing the tubular body of the expansion assembly to press the head portion of the flange member of the anchoring assembly against the body vessel and to approximate the body vessel with the body lumen until the annular body of the flange member of the anchoring assembly is positioned within a distal end of the body lumen; advancing the positioning tube through the body lumen; driving and securing the discrete locking member of the anchoring assembly into the passage of the annular body of the flange member, deflecting the annular body radially outward in a proximal direction away from the head portion and against the inner surface of the body lumen, maintaining the expandable annular body in the radially deflected configuration with said discrete locking member; and withdrawing the positioning tube from the body lumen thereby leaving the locking member retained in the annular body of the flange member.