Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A ligating instrument includes an instrument body and a ligature supply disposed in the instrument body. The ligature supply includes a plurality of preformed, contractible ligature loops of filamentous ligature material, each ligature loop having a contractible loop segment and a knotting element movable along the ligature material in a direction to contract the loop segment around anatomical structure to form a ligature. The instrument body includes an actuator for sequentially, selectively deploying the ligature loops externally of the instrument body, an operating member for moving the knotting elements of the externally deployed ligature loops in the direction to contract the loop segments of the externally deployed ligature loops around anatomical structure to form ligatures and a handle for operating the actuator and the operating member. A method of forming ligatures in anatomical structure at an internal operative site in a body includes the steps of introducing a distal end of an elongate member of a ligating instrument at the internal operative site, moving the distal end from a closed position to an open position, moving an actuator of the ligating instrument to distally advance a plurality of preformed, contractible ligature loops of filamentous ligature material within a lumen of the elongate member to move one of the ligature loops externally of the distal end in the open position, positioning the external ligature loop around anatomical structure and moving a knotting element of the external ligature loop to contract the external ligature loop around the anatomical structure to form a ligature.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim