Surgical port for notes procedures

A system for use as a dual use compression clip and surgical port, said system comprising:

• a dual-use compression clip and surgical port device having an open and a closed position and removably attachable to an applicator instrument having insertion elements, said device comprising:
• two compression elements, each element having formed thereon a bounding surface, said bounding surfaces being mutually complementary so as to combine to form the boundary of an opening when said device is in said open position;
• at least one hinge element for connecting said two compression elements to each other allowing said compression elements to move from an open arrangement corresponding to said open position to a closed arrangement corresponding to said closed position and vice versa;
• at least one force applier element which when said device is in its open position said at least one force applier element is biased to apply a force to keep said compression elements in their open arrangement and suitable for use as a surgical port, said at least one force applier element being selectably operable to apply to said compression elements a closure force and to maintain them in said closed arrangement when said compression elements have been brought to their closed arrangement;
• and
• at least one engageable surface feature formed on each of said compression elements and sized and configured to receive said insertion elements of said applicator instrument so that a force provided by said applicator instrument brings said compression elements from said open arrangement to said closed arrangement, thereby allowing said device to function as a compression clip when in its closed position;
• and
• at least one anchoring means for anchoring said device to tissue adjacent to, or within an operational distance of, an organ selected to undergo a surgical procedure.

A method of localized surgical compression using a dual-use compression clip and surgical port device having complementary halves and an open and a closed position, said method comprising the steps of:

• bringing the device to tissue adjacent to, or within an operational distance of, an organ selected to undergo a surgical procedure;
• anchoring the device to the tissue adjacent to, or within an operational distance of, the organ;
• conveying an endoscope, and ancillary working surgical instruments therein, to the device;
• passing the endoscope and ancillary working surgical instruments through an opening formed by the complementary halves of the device in its open position to effect the surgical procedure on the organ and then withdrawing the endoscope and ancillary instruments through the opening after completion of the procedure;
• and
• attaching an applicator instrument to the device and then using the applicator instrument to apply a force to bring the complementary halves of the device together so that they compress tissue located therebetween.