Emergency vascular repair prosthesis deployment system

A method of intraoperatively repairing a transected body vessel having first and second vessel portions with first and second end openings, comprising:

• providing a delivery device including a handle portion and at least one shaft coupled thereto;
• providing a prosthesis assembly disposed at an end of the delivery device, the prosthesis assembly comprising a self-expanding prosthesis having first and second outer ends and a middle portion therebetween, and a removable sheath having a tubular intermediate portion retaining the prosthesis in a radially compressed configuration, with first and second extended end portions each extending from the intermediate portion, wherein the first and second extended end portions are coupled to the at least one shaft;
• and
• inserting a first length of the prosthesis assembly corresponding to the first outer end of the prosthesis into a first end opening of the first vessel portion;
• inserting a second length of the prosthesis assembly corresponding to the second outer end of the prosthesis into a second end opening of the second vessel portion;
• rotating the at least one shaft for removal of first extended end portion of the sheath from the prosthesis in a first direction for expansion of the first outer end of the prosthesis in order to purchase a vessel wall of the first vessel portion, and rotating the at least one shaft for removal of second extended end portion of the sheath from the prosthesis in a second direction, opposite the first direction, for expansion of the second outer end of the prosthesis in order to purchase a vessel wall of the second vessel portion, whereby the prosthesis is in a fully expanded configuration and couples the first and second vessel portions together,
• wherein the intermediate portion of the sheath further comprises one or more overlapping regions of longitudinal edges, the overlapping region having a series of openings extending therethrough, and one or more threading members laced through the series of openings, the method further comprising the step of rotating the at least one shaft for removal of the threading member from the series of openings to facilitate expansion of the prosthesis.

A method of intraoperatively repairing a transected body vessel having first and second vessel portions with first and second end openings, comprising:

• providing a delivery device including a handle portion and at least one shaft coupled thereto;
• providing a prosthesis assembly disposed at an end of the delivery device, the prosthesis assembly comprising a self-expanding prosthesis having first and second outer ends and a middle portion therebetween, and a removable sheath having a tubular intermediate portion retaining the prosthesis in a radially compressed configuration, with first and second extended end portions each extending from the intermediate portion, wherein the first and second extended end portions are coupled to the at least one shaft;
• and
• inserting a first length of the prosthesis assembly corresponding to the first outer end of the prosthesis into a first end opening of the first vessel portion;
• inserting a second length of the prosthesis assembly corresponding to the second outer end of the prosthesis into a second end opening of the second vessel portion;
• rotating the at least one shaft for removal of first extended end portion of the sheath from the prosthesis in a first direction for expansion of the first outer end of the prosthesis in order to purchase a vessel wall of the first vessel portion, and rotating the at least one shaft for removal of second extended end portion of the sheath from the prosthesis in a second direction, opposite the first direction, for expansion of the second outer end of the prosthesis in order to purchase a vessel wall of the second vessel portion, whereby the prosthesis is in a fully expanded configuration and couples the first and second vessel portions together,
• wherein the at least one shaft further comprises first and second shafts, a first length of the sheath proximate the first outer end of the prosthesis is everted in order to direct the first extended end portion toward the first shaft, and a second length of the sheath proximate the second outer end of the prosthesis is everted in order to direct the second extended end portion toward the second shaft,
• wherein the at least one shaft further comprises a third and fourth shaft, and the sheath further comprises an overlapping region of longitudinal edges, a first threading member laced through a first portion of the overlapping region, a second threading member laced through a second portion of the overlapping region, wherein the third shaft is coupled to the first threading member, and the fourth shaft is coupled to the second threading member, and in response to rotation of the third and fourth shafts by the actuation member, the first threading member is removable and the second threading member is removable from the respective first and second portions of the overlapping region.