Apparatus and method for fixation of vascular grafts

An apparatus for securing a vascular graft within a blood vessel, the apparatus comprising:

• an elongated shaft having proximal and distal ends, and defining a longitudinal axis, said elongated shaft being dimensioned for passage within the blood vessel;
• an expansion member supported at said distal end of said elongated shaft, said expansion member movable between contracted and expanded conditions;
• and
• a surgical staple array including a plurality of surgical staples arranged about a peripheral portion of said expansion member, a plurality of surgical staples being arranged in partial overlapping relation, said staples of said staple array being deployable into a wall of the blood vessel upon expansion of said expansion member;
• wherein, when said expansion member and said surgical staple array are within the graft positioned within the blood vessel, said expansion member expands to deploy said surgical staples, thereby engaging said surgical staples with the vascular graft and the blood vessel to secure the vascular graft within the blood vessel.

A method for securing a vascular graft within a blood vessel, the method comprising the following steps:

• accessing the blood vessel;
• positioning the vascular graft at a predetermined location within the blood vessel;
• introducing and moving a fastener array within the blood vessel, said fastener array including a plurality of surgical fasteners arranged about a longitudinal axis of said fastener array, said surgical fasteners having penetrating portions dimensioned to penetrate the vascular graft;
• and
• deploying said surgical fasteners of said fastener array radially outwardly relative to said longitudinal axis, wherein moving the fastener array within the blood vessel position disposes the fastener array at least partially within the vascular graft, and ends of said fasteners are overlapped prior to deploying said fastener array to provide a compacted fastener arrangement, said penetrating portions of said surgical fasteners penetrate the vascular graft and engage the blood vessel without completely penetrating the blood vessel, to thereby secure the vascular graft of the blood vessel.