Valve cutter for arterial by-pass surgery

摘要

A valve cutter for arterial bypass surgery is provided and includes a blade assembly for cutting the venous valves, a shaft for guiding the blade assembly through the bypass vein, an expansion means for preventing the blade assembly from contacting the walls of the bypass vein and for helping to propagate the incisions made in the valve leaflets by the blade assembly, and a control means for controlling the expansion and contraction of the expansion means in order to allow for use of the invention in a variety of bypass vein diameter sizes.