Endolumenal aortic isolation assembly and method

A method for anastomosing an arterial bypass graft to a proximal anastomosis site along an aortic wall of an aorta in a patient, comprising:

• endolumenally isolating a proximal anastomosis site along an aortic wall from a volume of pressurized blood in the aorta using an aorta isolation assembly provided along a distal end portion of an elongate body;
• said elongate body having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a longitudinal axis, and a flow lumen which extends between a distal port located along the distal end portion of the elongate body and a proximal port located along the proximal end portion of the elongate body, wherein the flow lumen communicates externally of the elongate body through an intermediate port located between the distal and proximal ports;
• while the proximal anastomosis site is isolated from the volume of pressurized blood with the aorta isolation assembly, shunting the volume of blood through said flow lumen along the elongate body from such distal port of the flow lumen positioned along an upstream region of the aorta located upstream from the proximal anastomosis site and through a proximal port of the flow lumen positioned along a downstream region of the aorta located downstream from the proximal anastomosis site;
• and
• while the volume of blood is being shunted from the upstream region to the downstream region, positioning a movable cannula having an adjustable valve within the flow lumen between the distal and proximal ports and expanding said adjustable valve within the flow lumen proximally of said intermediate port to a closed position.

An endolumenal aortic isolation system comprising:

• an elongate body with a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a longitudinal axis, and a flow lumen which extends between a distal port located along the distal end portion of the elongate body and a proximal port located along the proximal end portion of the elongate body, wherein the flow lumen communicates externally of the elongate body through and intermediate port located between the distal and proximal ports;
• a cannula member, having a distal and proximal end and an axis of elongation, removeably and slidably carried relative to said elongate body so as to permit axial movement of said cannula member within said flow lumen, said cannula member comprising an adjustable valve member carried by said cannula adjacent said distal end where said adjustable valve member is selectively positionable in said flow lumen such that upon adjusting said adjustable valve member to a closed position after said adjustable valve member is positioned between said intermediate port and said proximate ports, said flow lumen is open between said distal and intermediate ports and closed between said intermediate and proximate ports, and when said adjustable valve member is adjusted to a closed position after positioning said adjustable valve member between said distal and intermediate ports said flow lumen is open between said proximate and intermediate ports and closed between said intermediate and distal ports;
• an aorta isolation means located along the distal end portion of the elongate body having a distal portion located proximally of the distal port and a proximal portion located proximally of the distal portion and distally of the intermediate port for engaging an aortic wall of an aorta when extended circumferentially from a collapsed position such that upon engagement with said aortic wall an intermediate region between said distal portion and proximal portion is isolated from a volume of pressurized blood within said aorta upstream and downstream from said distal portion and said proximal portion respectively;
• wherein said aorta isolation means is adapted to isolate a proximal anastomosis site along the aortic wall from said volume of pressurized blood at a location in the aorta either distally from the distal portion or proximally from the proximal portion of said aorta isolation means with respect to the elongate body by positioning said intermediate region within the aorta along a proximal anastomosis site and extending said distal and proximal portions to circumferentially engage said aortic wall on upstream and downstream sides of the proximal anastomosis site.