Patent ID: 8021376

Claim:
A suturing method using an endoscopic suturing device, comprising: (1) retaining an insert assisting device into a body; (2) inserting a suturing device incorporated in the endoscope into the insert assisting device and inserting the suturing device into the body, the suturing device including at least one curved needle which has a proximal end portion and a free end portion and is driven about the proximal end portion by an operation outside the body, a removable needle removably attached to the free end portion of the curved needle, and a suture thread fixed to the removable needle; (3) driving the curved needle of the suturing device such that the free end portion is separated from a sutured region; (4) pushing the curved needle against the sutured region; (5) puncturing the curved needle into a tissue through one side of the tissue and protruding the curved needle out of the tissue through the same side; (6) recovering the removable needle from the free end portion of the curved needle by using a recovery member, the recovery member including a removable needle recovery device to hold and recover the removable needle at a distal end portion, the recovering including coaxially locating the removable needle and the removable needle recovery device; (7) removing the curved needle, from which the removable needle has been removed, from the tissue; and (8) removing the suturing device to the outside of the body by closing the curved needle.