Female suspension procedure

• US 4,938,760 A
• Filed: 03/29/1989
• Issued: 07/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ams Research Corporation (Endo International PLC)
• Original Assignee: American Medical Systems Incorporated (Endo International PLC)
• Inventors: Saville, William D., Bruskewitz, Reginald C., Burton, John H., Mikulich, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Randall L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/330,390
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 128/334 R, 128/335, 128/344, 128/630, 128/774, 128/DIG.25, 604/98-104, 600/29, 600/30
• US Class Current: 600/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0443 the shaft being resilient and having a coiled or helical shape in the released state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0453 threaded elements, e.g. set screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0036 implantable A61F2/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/25 Artificial sphincters and devices for controlling urinary incontinence

Abstract

A method for suspending the urethrovesical junction in females comprises inserting sutures through a puncture or incision in the suprapubic abdominal area or through a puncture or incision in the vaginal wall, suspending the urethrovesical junction with the sutures, and anchoring the sutures with an anchoring means at an anchoring site. The anchoring means is a relatively rigid helix having an attaching means to attach the suture, or a pad adapted to be delivered with a delivery means to the anchoring site, or a flip anchor in substantial axial alignment with a placement means and adapted to be flipped from the axial alignment to an angled position, or an adjustable tissue anchor having a means for adjustably attaching the sutures.

Claims

1. A method for suspending the urethrovesical junction with sutures which comprises

inserting said sutures through an incision in the suprapubic abdominal area or through an incision in the vaginal wall,

suspending said urethrovesical junction with said sutures, and

anchoring said sutures with at least one anchoring means at an anchoring site, wherein said anchoring means is selected from the group consisting of:

a relatively rigid helix having an attaching means to attach said suture, or

a pad adapted to be delivered within a delivery means to said anchoring site, or

a flip anchor in substantial axial alignment with a placement means and adapted to be flipped from said axial alignment to an angled position with respect to said placement means, or

an adjustable tissue anchor having a means for adjustably attaching said sutures.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said attaching means is a shaft located substantially centrally with respect to said helix

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said delivery means is a needle and said pad is adapted to be delivered through the needle.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said placement means includes a guidewire reversibly attached to said flip anchor.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said guidewire is inserted through a hollow needle.