Patent ID: 7597698

Claim:
A surgical procedure performed on the heart of a patient, comprising the steps for: forming an entry incision on the patient; dissecting tissue along a tract from the entry incision toward the patient's heart; forming an opening in the pericardium near the apex region and into the intrapericardial space of the patient's heart through the entry incision; advancing a surgical instrument through the opening in the pericardium near the apex region and along a path lateral to the left pulmonary veins into the transverse pericardial sinus; forming an opening in a first reflection diposed between the left and right superior pulmonary veins; entering through the opening formed in the first reflection to form an opening in a second reflection disposed between the superior vena cava and the right superior pulmonary vein; advancing the surgical instrument through the opening formed in the second reflection; forming an opening in a third reflection disposed between the inferior vena cava and the right inferior pulmonary vein; advancing the surgical instrument through the opening formed in the third reflection into the oblique pericardial sinus to substantially surround the left and right pulmonary veins with the surgical instrument.