| 摘要 |
<p>Methods and apparatus are provided for such uses as attaching grafts of tubing (e.g., lengths of saphenous vein) between sites in a patient's body via the patient's existing arteries and veins. Grafts may be held in place during graft delivery using a partially inflated proximal balloon and a partially inflated distal balloon which frictionally engage axially spaced portions of the graft (e.g., pronged attachment rings that pierce the graft adjacent its ends). After aligning the distal balloon and distal end of the graft with the distal attachment site, the distal balloon may be further inflated to help attach the distal end of the graft to the distal attachment site (e.g., by driving the prongs of the distal attachment ring into the distal attchment site). The proximl balloon may then be inflated to similarly help attach the proximal end of the graft to the proximal attachment site. The balloons are deflated to facilitate withdrawal of the apparatus from the installed graft. The insertion instruments allows the distance between the distal and proximal balloons to be adjusted, thereby accommodating grafts of various lengths. The separation between distal and proximal balloons may be fixed or substantially fixed using a locking mechanism.</p> |
