Transobturator surgical articles and methods

1. A method of treating urinary incontinence in a male patient comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a first incision in a position below the male patient's urethra and a pair of pelvic incisions, wherein the pelvic incisions are substantially aligned with the male patient's obturator foramen;

(b) providing an elongate surgical instrument and an elongate implant for treating urinary incontinence;

(c) passing one of the ends of the instrument through one obturator foramen via one of the pelvic incisions;

(d) associating the implant with the instrument;

(e) using the instrument to pass the implant through a tissue of the first incision and the one pelvic incision such that the implant extends through the one obturator foramen and one of the pelvic incisions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the incisions are made with the patient placed in a modified lithotomy position.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrument passes through an obturator foramen membrane adjacent to a medial region of the obturator foramen membrane inferior to a region of the patient's obturator foramen containing vascular and nerve structures.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein one end of the instrument passes through an obturator foramen membrane adjacent to the patient's lateral margins of each ischiopubic ramus.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein an end of the instrument is inserted into the first incision and is passed from the first incision through an obturator foramen and then to the pelvic incision.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein an end of the instrument passes from at least one of the pelvic incisions through one of the obturator foramen and medially to the first incision.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the implant provides support for the patient's urethra.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one end of the instrument comprises an eyelet to associate the instrument with the implant.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one end of the instrument is associated with the implant using a connector.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the implant is a sling.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the implant is a polymer fiber sling.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the implant is a fabric structure configured as a sling.

13. The method of claim 1 comprising;

(f) passing one of the ends of the instrument though the other obturator foramen and the other pelvic incision; and

(g) using the instrument to extend the implant though the first incision and the other obturator foramen to the other pelvic incision such that the implant then extends from one pelvic incision to the other pelvic incision, through both obturator foramen and adjacent to the male patient's urethra and bladder.

14. The method of claim 1 comprising:

(a) creating a first incision in a position below the male patient's urethra and a pair of pelvic incisions, wherein the pelvic incisions are substantially aligned with the patient's obturator foramen;

(b) providing:

a first surgical instrument for use on a right side of a patient, the first surgical instrument comprising a handle portion and a needle portion having substantial structure in thee dimensions and a distal end, the needle portion having a portion that is sized and shaped to extend between a pelvic incision on a right side of the patient and the first incision below the patient's urethra,

a second surgical instrument for use on a left side of a patient, the second surgical instrument comprising a handle portion and a needle portion having substantial structure in thee dimensions and a distal end, the needle portion having a portion that is sized and shaped to extend between a pelvic incision on a left side of the patient and the first incision below the patient's urethra, and

an elongate implant;

(c) passing the end of the first surgical instrument through the patient's right obturator foramen via the pelvic incision on the right side of the patient;

(d) associating the implant with the first surgical instrument;

(e) using the first surgical instrument to pass the implant through the first incision and the pelvic incision on the right side of the patient such that the implant extends through the right obturator foramen and the pelvic incision on the right side of the patient;

(f) passing the end of the second surgical instrument through the patient's left obturator foramen and the pelvic incision on the left side of the patient;

(g) using the second surgical instrument to extend the implant through the first incision and the left obturator foramen to the pelvic incision on the left side of the patient; and

(h) extending the implant from one pelvic incision to the other pelvic incision, through both obturator foramen and adjacent to the patient's urethra and bladder.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the needle portion having substantial structure in three dimensions of the first instrument comprises a variable spiral portion, and the needle portion having substantial structure in three dimensions of the second instrument comprises a variable spiral portion.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the needle portion having substantial structure in three dimensions of the first instrument comprises a variable helix, and the needle portion having substantial structure in three dimensions of the second instrument comprises a variable helix.

17. A method according to claim 14 wherein:

the elongate implant comprises a mid-portion and two opposing end portions, each end portion comprises a sheath and a connector at a distal end, and

each connecter is configured to mate with an end of a needle to produce a substantially permanent attachment between the connector and the end of the needle.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein each end portion comprises a suture extending along a length of the end portion.

19. A method according to claim 14 wherein the elongate implant comprises a mid-portion and two opposing end portions and each end portion comprises a suture extending a along length of the end portion.

20. A method according to claim 17 wherein the attachment between the needles and the connector is a substantially permanent snap fit attachment.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the instruments pass through an obturator foramen membrane adjacent to a medial region of the obturator foramen membrane inferior to a region of the patient's obturator foramen containing vascular and nerve structures.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein one end of each instrument passes through an obturator foramen membrane adjacent to the patient's lateral margins of each ischiopubic ramus.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein an end of each instrument passes from at least one of the pelvic incisions through one of the obturator foramen and medially to the first incision.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the elongate implant comprises a mid-portion and two opposing end portions, and the mid-portion has a width that is greater than a width of the end portions.

25. The method of claim 13 wherein the elongate implant comprises a mid-portion and two opposing end portions, and the mid-portion has a width that is greater than a width of the end portions.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the elongate implant comprises a mid-portion and two opposing end portions, and the mid-portion has a width that is greater than a width of the end portions.

27. The method of claim 14 wherein

the end of the first surgical instrument is inserted into the first incision and is further inserted to pass from the first incision through the patient's right obturator foramen and then to the pelvic incision on the right side of the patient, and

the end of the second surgical instrument is inserted into the first incision and is further inserted to pass from the first incision through the patient's left obturator foramen and then to the pelvic incision on the left side of the patient.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the elongate implant comprises a mid-portion and two opposing end portions, and each end portion comprises a sheath extending along a length of the end portion.

29. The method of claim 28 comprising, after the implant is passed through tissue to extend from the first pelvic incision to the second pelvic incision, through both obturator foramen and adjacent to the patient's urethra, the method comprises adjusting the placement of the implant below the urethra by moving an end portion and sheath within the tissue, followed by removing the sheath from the end portion.

30. The method of claim 14 wherein the elongate implant comprises a mid-portion and two opposing end portions, and each end portion comprises a sheath extending along a length of the end portion.

31. A method according to claim 30 comprising, after the implant is passed through tissue to extend from the pelvic incision in the right side of the patient to the pelvic incision on the left side of the patient, through both obturator foramen and adjacent to the patient's urethra, the method comprises adjusting the placement of the implant below the urethra by moving an end portion and sheath within the tissue, followed by removing the sheath from the end portion.