Tissue retrieval bag and method for removing cancerous tissue

Abstract

A tissue retrieval bag has a wide mouth and folds for insertion through an incision to a body cavity to form a flat tray and receive excised tissue. The tissue is dropped onto the floor of the bag and the mouth of the bag is then drawn back through the incision, where it drapes the opening to provide a protected tunnel to the resected tissue still lying within the cavity. The bag is preferably transparent, and the enclosed tissue may be viewed endoscopically while a morcellizer is inserted through the tunnel and operated to aspirate the tissue, so that the bag is then readily withdrawn through the incision. Alternatively, an endoscope may be inserted through the tunnel directly into the bag to monitor and control morcellation. In a preferred embodiment the tissue is resected lung tissue and, a morcellizer blade is used to selectively morcellate only the parenchyma, leaving lymphatic tissue and the bronchial tree in the bag for histologic analysis. The bag may have pleated walls which provide dimensional stability in a shape that avoids cutter damage and cleanly catches and contains the resected tissue, thus reducing the risk of seeding tumor cells.