Method for resection of an anatomic structure

A method for isolating at least a portion of an organ within an enveloping sleeve in an interior of a patient's body, the enveloping sleeve having walls of flexible material with an inside surface and an outside surface, the enveloping sleeve being capable of movement between an inside-out condition and a right side-out condition, the enveloping sleeve storable in a handle coupled to the enveloping sleeve in the inside-out condition, the method comprising the steps of:

• making an incision in the patient's body, thereby providing access to a portion of the organ in the interior of the patient's body;
• positioning the enveloping sleeve in the inside-out condition proximate to the portion of the organ;
• maintaining the handle in a substantially fixed position relative to the organ;
• moving the enveloping sleeve toward the right side-out position from the inside-out position, thereby causing the enveloping sleeve to unfold in 360 degrees distally around at least a portion of the organ, thereby isolating at least a portion of the organ within the enveloping sleeve and isolated from surrounding tissues.

A method for isolating at least a portion of an anatomic structure in an interior of a patient's body within an enveloping structure, the enveloping structure having walls of flexible material surrounding an inflation chamber, the enveloping structure capable of deployment between a non-deployed position and a deployed position, in the non-deployed position the inflation chamber being collapsed with the enveloping structure foldably stored in a handle coupled to the enveloping sleeve, in the deployed position the inflation chamber expanded by a fluid medium with the enveloping structure being unfoldably deployed distally from the handle, the walls of the enveloping structure defining an axial lumen extending through the enveloping structure, the axial lumen being exterior to the walls surrounding the inflation chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

• positioning at least a portion of the enveloping structure in the non-deployed position in the interior of the patient's body whereby the axial lumen is proximate to the anatomic structure in the interior of the patient's body;
• maintaining the handle in a substantially fixed position relative to the anatomic structure;
• introducing a fluid medium into the inflation chamber, thereby causing the enveloping structure to move toward the deployed position from the non-deployed position, wherein such distal deployment causes the enveloping structure to unfold around at least a portion of the anatomic structure, thereby isolating at least a portion of the anatomic structure in the axial lumen.

A method for removing a portion of an elongate vessel having a least one branch vessel from an interior of a patient's body utilizing a device having an enveloping structure with walls of substantially transparent flexible material surrounding an inflation chamber, the enveloping structure being capable of deployment between a non-deployed position and a deployed position, in the non-deployed position the inflation chamber being collapsed with the enveloping structure foldably stored in a handle coupled to the enveloping structure, in the deployed position the inflation chamber being expanded by a fluid medium with the enveloping structure being unfoldably deployed distally from the handle, the enveloping structure capable of accommodating viewing means within the inflation chamber, the walls of the enveloping structure defining an axial lumen extending through the enveloping structure, the axial lumen being exterior to the walls surrounding the inflation chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

• making a first incision in a first location in the patient's body, thereby providing access to a first portion of the elongate vessel in the interior of the patient's body;
• making a second incision in a second location in the patient's body, thereby providing access to a second portion of the vessel;
• advancing an elongate probe along an exterior of the elongate vessel, thereby dissecting a pathway between the first and second locations along side the vessel;
• dividing the vessel at at least one of the first and second locations, thereby providing one of a first and second end portions of the vessel;
• positioning the enveloping structure in the non-deployed position in one of the first and second incisions, whereby the axial lumen is proximate to one of the first and second end portions of the vessel;
• introducing a fluid medium into the inflation chamber, thereby moving the enveloping structure toward the deployed position from the non-deployed position, wherein distal deployment causes the enveloping structure to unfold around one of the first and second end portions of the vessel, thereby isolating at least a portion of the vessel in the axial lumen;
• endoscopically viewing the at least one branch vessel through the pathway;
• guiding under endoscopic viewing an instrument though one of the first and second incisions to a location of the at least one branch vessel;
• dividing the at least one branch vessel with the instrument;
• and
• withdrawing the enveloping structure from the patient's body through one of the first and second incisions with a portion of the vessel captured therein.