APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING FEMALE URINARY INCONTINENCE

摘要

A surgical instrument (12) for introducing a support strand into the body to treat female urinary incontinence has an elongated, curved shaft (14) with a distal end insertable into the body. The shaft has a lumen (26) therein extending at least a portion of the length of the shaft (14) through which t he support strand may pass in an axial direction. The shaft has a slot (24) on an exterior surface thereof communicating with the lumen (26) allowing the support strand to be laterally passed between the positionable on the distal end of the shaft (14) for facilitating the insertion of the shaft (14) throu gh the body and is connectable at one end to the support strand. The pointed element may either be swaged directly to the strand or be in the form of an elongated needle (16) with an eye (20) to which the strand is removably attached. In an associated method, the shaft (14) sequentially delivers the pointed element (18) through the body twice, forming a loop around the ureth ra to relieve incontinence. The slot (24) in the shaft (14) permits the instrument (12) to be disassociated from the strand without disturbing the loop.