Surgical instruments and procedures

A surgical instrument comprising a first clamp and a second clamp adapted to be inserted through a trocar or other port into a surgical field and then positioned on a support so that said first clamp and said second clamp hold and position one or more vessels or elongated tissues, wherein:

• said support comprises a connecting arm mounted on said first clamp and a mount for securing said second clamp on said connecting arm;
• and
• said mount comprises one or more locking rings or teeth and said connecting arm comprises a pair of substantially parallel webs with said one or more locking rings or teeth on the outsides of said webs, said teeth on the webs being adapted to engage the teeth on the mounts and lock said second clamp on said connecting arm, and said webs being adapted to flex to release said second clamp from said arm.

A surgical instrument comprising a first clamp and a second clamp adapted to be inserted through a trocar or other port into a surgical field and then positioned on a support so that said first clamp and said second clamp hold and position one or more vessels or elongated tissues, wherein:

• said support comprises a connecting arm mounted on said first clamp and a mount for securing said second clamp on said connecting arm;
• and
• said connecting arm has a partially cylindrical cross-section, with one or more flat spots on the sides of said arm, and said mount has a flattened cylindrical cross-section that complements the cross-section of said arm and positions the second clamp on said connecting arm in a desired angular relation with respect to said first clamp.

A surgical instrument comprising a first clamp and a second clamp adapted to be inserted through a trocar or other port into a surgical field and then positioned on a support so that said first clamp and said second clamp hold and position one or more vessels or elongated tissues, wherein:

• said support comprises a connecting arm mounted on said first clamp and a mount for securing said second clamp on said connecting arm;
• and
• said first clamp and said second clamp are pivotally mounted and spring loaded on a pivoting connecting arm so that said first clamp and said second clamp may be pivoted to extend generally axially along said connecting arm for insertion and removal of the instrument through a trocar or other port into a surgical field and automatically pivot into a position substantially perpendicular to said connecting arm when the clamp has passed through the port.

A surgical instrument comprising a first clamp and a second clamp adapted to be inserted through a trocar or other port into a surgical field and then positioned on a support so that said first clamp and said second clamp hold and position one or more vessels or elongated tissues, wherein said first clamp is attached to said second clamp with a magnetic coupler.

An instrument for laparoscopic vascular surgery comprising a first clamp and a second clamp adapted to be inserted through a trocar or other port into a surgical field and then positioned on a support so that said first clamp and said second clamp approximate the ends of a first end of a blood vessel and a second end of a blood vessel for anastomosis;

• a connecting arm mounted on said first clamp so that connecting arm can pivot to extend axially along said first clamp when said first clamp passes through said trocar or other port and can pivot into a position transverse to said connecting arm when the first clamp has passed through the port, said connecting arm being biased towards said transverse position;
• and
• said second clamp comprises a mount adapted to releasably lock said second clamp on said connecting arm.