Side-to-side anastomosis system and punch tool for same

A method of making a side-to-side anastomosis, comprising the steps of:

• removing a scrap of tissue to create a first hole through a wall of a first vessel a first distance from an exposed end of the first vessel, including receiving a jaw of a punch tool into the first vessel through the exposed end, and moving a punch die of the punch tool toward the jaw and through the wall of the first vessel;
• removing a scrap of tissue to create a second hole through a wall of a second vessel a second distance from an exposed end of the second vessel, including receiving the jaw of the punch tool into the second vessel through the exposed end, and moving the punch die of the punch tool toward the jaw and through the wall of the second vessel;
• joining the first vessel to the second vessel with an elongate eyelet that extends through the first hole and the second hole and urges the first vessel and second vessel into side-to-side contact in a perimeter surrounding the first hole and the second hole, respectively;
• wherein the first hole and the second hole have identically sized non-circular elongate shapes with long axes oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the respective first vessel and second vessel;
• wherein the elongate eyelet defines a passage therethrough with a shape that matches the non-circular elongate shapes of the first hole and the second hole;
• and
• wherein the removing steps are performed before the joining step.