Surgical cauterization snare with ligating suture

A surgical instrument assembly for use in snare cauterization procedures comprising:

• a first tubular sheath member;
• loop means for forming a cauterization loop which is alternatively expandable and contractible in essentially a single plane, a proximal end of said loop means configured to operatively mate with an electrically conductive wire passing longitudinally through said first tubular sheath to electrical supply means for supplying a current to said loop means;
• a second tubular sheath member slidably disposed in the first tubular sheath member;
• a flexible suture member releasably connected to the loop means, a distal end of the suture member forming a one-way slip knot and a proximal end of the suture member disposed in the distal end the second tubular sheath;
• an actuator module associated with the proximal end of the second tubular sheath for advancing said second tubular sheath distally with respect to the distal end of the first tubular sheath;
• elongate tensioning means releasably joined to the proximal end of the suture member and disposed in the second tubular sheath, a proximal end of the tensioning means joined to the actuator module where the second tubular sheath and tensioning means cooperate to advance said slip knot on the suture member.