The current retrieval bags used for removing specimens from the abdominal cavity have Nitinol in the necks of the bags to open them once deployed into the peritoneal cavity. This happens automatically and permits the easy placement of specimens into the bags.

Nitinol has been used in retractors which are introduced straight and once in the peritoneal cavity form a curve that is them used to retract intra-abdominal organs.  Most instruments are straight but Nitinol is used in graspers and dissectors to deflect them once into the peritoneal cavity.  They are held straight by a sheath which when pulled back causes the tip to bend. The deflection and therefore the angle and positioning of the tips of the instrument can be controlled by the degree to which the rigid sheath of the instrument is pulled back.

A new and very important use of Nitinol is effect a bowel anastomosis. This can be performed as an end to end or side to side manner using a Nitinol compression ring.  Cooling the Nitinol ring opens it so that it can be placed across two ends of tissue.  As the ring is warmed up to body temperature it closes compressing the bowel together, holding it together so that it can heal.  The bowel that is compressed by the ring becomes necrotic, thus freeing the ring to that it can fall free into the lumen of the bowel to be passed with the feces. 

When performing a laparoscopic hernia it is often difficult to unroll the mesh that is being placed for the repair.  Nitinol has been placed in the edge of the mesh so that as it is unfolded it automatically opens up.

There are many other potential in the practice of minimal access surgery that the unique properties of Nitinol can be used to improve instrumentation.