A medical device for removing or retrieving objects from the body of a subject (e.g., from a vessel and/or a cavity in the body of the subject. Such a retrieval apparatus includes a handle, a sheath protruding from the handle, and a snare. The snare includes a loop that may extend from a distal end of the sheath, as well as an intermediate portion that resides within a lumen of the snare and one or more ends that are coupled to or are otherwise associated with one or more controls carried by the handle. The controls may enable retraction of the loop into the lumen of the sheath, sizing of the loop, and reciprocation, or back and forth movement, of the snare and its loop. Methods for using such a retrieval apparatus are also disclosed.
