摘要 |
A suturing instrument (17) and methods for placing stitches in soft tissues combines the functions of both indepen-dently grasping the tissue and passing sutures (57) through the tissue to form a mattress stitch therein. The endoscopic suturing instrument (17) comprises a clamping portion (19) having a longitudinal axis , which is adapted for percutaneous entry into an oper-ative site. The clamping portion (19) further comprises a plurality of jaw members (37, 39) that are movable relative to one another between a closed position wherein the jaw members (37, 39) are disposed in close proximity to one another and an open position wherein the jaw members (37, 39) are spaced apart. A needle portion (21) is disposed at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, and is adapted for percutaneous entry into said operative site. The needle portion (21) comprises a needle (41, 43), and preferably a pair of needles (41, 43), for passage through a portion of soft tissue disposed between the jaw members (37, 39) of the clamping portion.(19).
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