Devices and methods for minimally invasive surgical procedures

A method of using a surgical device to intracorporeally resect a bowel specimen from a subject, the surgical device comprising:

• a first arm and a second arm each having a longitudinal length with opposite proximal and distal end portions, at least one of said first arm and said second arm being movable between an open position and a clamped position,
• wherein the surgical device includes a suturing mechanism comprising:
• a first row of suture staples positioned along the longitudinal length in said first arm, and a second row of suture staples positioned along the longitudinal length in said second arm;
• and a length of suture comprising first and second end regions coupled together by a pre-formed adjustable fastening held in the surgical device, a first threaded region of the suture extending through the first row of suture staples, a second threaded region of the suture extending through the second row of suture staples, a first unthreaded region extending along the longitudinal length of said first arm, and a second unthreaded region extending along the longitudinal length of said second arm;
• the method comprising:
• clamping the first arm and the second arm over a proximal margin of resection between the specimen and a healthy bowel portion;
• actuating a cutting mechanism to divide the bowel at the proximal margin of resection, actuating a stapling mechanism to close an interior lumen of the specimen by applying the staples to a proximal edge portion of the specimen;
• actuating the suturing mechanism to attach the first and second rows of suture staples to an edge portion of the proximal bowel portion, wherein the suture comprising the pre-formed adjustable fastening detaches from the surgical device and forms a loop around the edge portion of the proximal bowel portion, a portion of the suture extending through the suture staples;
• and clamping the first arm and the second arm over a distal margin of resection between the specimen and a healthy bowel portion;
• actuating the cutting mechanism to divide the bowel at the distal margin of resection, actuating the stapling mechanism to close an interior lumen of the specimen by applying the staples to a distal edge portion of the specimen;
• actuating the suturing mechanism to attach the first and second rows of suture staples to an edge portion of the distal bowel portion, wherein the suture comprising the pre-formed adjustable fastening detaches from the surgical device and forms a loop around the edge portion of the distal bowel portion, a portion of the suture extending through the suture staples;
• and,
• extracting the sample specimen through the subject's rectum, wherein the extracting comprises the steps of transanally inserting a grasping tool through the distal bowel portion, grasping the specimen with the grasping tool and extracting the specimen through the subject's rectum.