Patent ID: 7637932

Claim:
A method comprising providing a prosthesis including a proximal region and a distal region, each of the proximal and distal regions being sized and configured for self-expansion between a radially compressed condition and a fully radially expanded condition, providing a deployment catheter including a shaft sized and configured to carry the prosthesis, a first proximal release mechanism coupling the proximal region of the prosthesis to the shaft to retain the proximal region in the radially compressed condition, a second proximal release mechanism coupling the proximal region of the prosthesis to the shaft, independent of the first proximal release mechanism, to retain the proximal region coupled to the shaft while the proximal region is in the fully radially expanded condition, and a distal release mechanism, independent of the first and second proximal release mechanisms, coupling the distal region of the prosthesis to the shaft to retain the distal region the radially compressed condition, providing a guide device separate from the deployment catheter, the guide device defining a guide passage, providing a fastener device separate from the guide device and the deployment catheter and being sized and configured to pass through the guide passage, the fastener device carrying at least one fastener, positioning the deployment catheter at a targeted site in a hollow body organ or blood vessel, the first proximal release mechanism and the distal release mechanisms of the deployment catheter retaining the proximal and distal regions of the prosthesis, respectively, in the radially compressed condition, actuating the first proximal release mechanism and not the second proximal release mechanism and not the distal release mechanism to release the proximal region of the prosthesis for self-expansion from the radially compressed condition to the fully radially expanded condition, thereby allowing adjustment of a position of the prosthesis, while the proximal region is in the fully radially expanded condition, relative to the targeted site by manipulation of the deployment catheter, deploying the guide device into the proximal region while the proximal region is in the fully radially expanded condition, deploying the fastener device through the guide passage of the guide device into the proximal region while the proximal region is in the fully radially expanded condition, operating the fastener device to apply the fastener to fasten the proximal region of the prosthesis to the targeted site while the proximal region is in the fully radially expanded condition, after applying the fastener, actuating the second proximal release mechanism to release the proximal region of the prosthesis from the deployment catheter, and actuating the distal release mechanism to allow the distal region of the prosthesis to self expand from the radially compressed condition to the fully radially expanded condition.