Device and method for the surgical anastomasis of tubular structures

A device to aid in surgically joining a pair of tubular structures at openings thereof, said device consisting of comprising:

• (a) a generally cylindrical body having a pair of opposed arms, a bridge between said arms, and a depression between said arms;
• (b) said arms having free extremities that are adapted for insertion into said tubular structure openings, one of said arms having a maximum cross-sectional area approximately that of the inside cross-sectional area of one of said tubular structures and the other of said arms having a maximum cross-sectional area approximately that of the inside cross-sectional area of the other of said tubular structures;
• (c) said depression being adapted to allow a suturing needle to pass through a wall of each of said tubular structures;
• and
• (d) said bridge being flexible and substantially straight and being adapted to prevent trauma to said wall from said needle opposite where said needle passes through said wall.

A method for surgically joining a pair of tubular structures at openings thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a device with a generally cylindrical body having a pair of opposed arms, a bridge between said arms, and a depression between said arms, said arms having free extremities that are adapted for insertion into said tubular structure openings, said depression being adapted to allow a suturing needle to pass through a wall of each of said tubular structures, and said bridge being adapted to prevent trauma to said wall from said needle opposite where said needle passes through said wall;
• (b) placing a single suture at said tubular structure openings to hold said tubular structures together at a single point;
• (c) inserting said device arm extremities into said tubular structure openings;
• (d) positioning said device in a working position such that said depression straddles said tubular structure openings;
• (e) introducing sutures into said tubular structure walls at suture positions adjacent to said depression for permitting the suturing needle to traverse through said walls;
• (f) removing said device;
• and
• (g) tightening said sutures.