Vessel harvesting retractor with integral electrosurgical clamping elements

A method of harvesting vessels comprising:

• providing a vessel harvesting device comprising a shaft having a lumen for acceptance of an endoscope therein, a head piece connected to a distal end of the shaft, the head piece defining a workspace, a vessel capturing means comprising a lower jaw, a flexible upper jaw, and a closing means for closing the flexible jaw upon the lower jaw to capture a side branch vessel, the vessel capturing means being operable within the workspace between an open and a closed position to capture a side branch of the vessel, a handle connected to a proximate end of the shaft, for allowing the operator to manipulate the head piece, and an actuation means located between the handle and the distal end of the shaft, for operating the closing means, wherein the closing means is a tube which surrounds both the flexible upper and lower jaws, the tube forcing the flexible upper jaw towards the lower jaw upon a movement of the tube towards the distal end of the device;
• locating a vessel to be harvested;
• making an incision to expose the vessel;
• inserting the vessel harvesting device into the patient through the incision;
• dissecting the vessel from the surrounding tissue with the vessel harvesting device;
• capturing a side branch of the vessel using the vessel capturing means;
• closing the vessel capturing means by sliding the tube over the flexible upper jaw and the lower jaw of the vessel capturing means;
• ligating and transecting the side branch of the vessel using the vessel capturing means;
• and
• removing the vessel.