EXCISING INSTRUMENT, SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME, AND METHOD FOR REMOVING A TISSUE SPECIMEN OR ORGAN WITHIN A FLEXIBLE POUCH EXTENDING THROUGH A SMALL INCISION OR NATURAL OPENING IN A PATIENT

摘要

A system and method for removing a tissue specimen or organ (10) from a patient is disclosed. The system includes a bag (22) and an excising instrument (28). The tissue specimen or organ is located in the bag in the patient's body. The instrument includes a guide (30) configured for introduction into the bag and a rotatable cutter (32). This includes a central passageway and an annular cutting blade (32A) which is brought into engagement with a peripherally located portion of the tissue specimen and rotated to produce a tangentially cut peripheral portion while a pulling force is applied to the tissue specimen through the central passageway. The pulling force rotates the tissue specimen within the bag to produce the tangentially cut peripheral portion and to move the tangentially cut peripheral portion out of the patient's body. Gas pressure may be applied to inflate the bag to facilitate placement of the excising instrument.