Surgical instrument for treating female urinary stress incontinence

• US 7,771,345 B1
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pat D O'Donnell
• Original Assignee: Pat D O'Donnell
• Inventors: O'Donnell, Pat D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, II; Charles A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATTHEWS, CHRISTINE HOPKINS
• Application Number:
  US10/701,253
• Time in Patent Office: 2,471 Days
• Field of Search: 600 29- 30, 600/37, 128/885, 128/899, 128/897
• US Class Current: 600/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 Support slings

Abstract

A suburethral sling device and method for treating female urinary stress incontinence which is anatomically configured to implant into the lower abdomen of a female in a manner providing support to mid-urethral and bladder neck sphincteric continence sites with the sling defining in part, mesh and tissue remodeling portions. The sling is deployed via a sling transfer instrument having distal and proximal ends with the instrument comprising in part a progressively curved shaft portion positioned between the distal and proximal ends. An insertion handle of the transfer instrument is secured to the curved metal shaft section guiding the shaft tip through the tissues of the abdomen in an anterior/posterior direction as well as a cephalad/caudad direction.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for treating female urinary stress incontinence comprising:

a) a sling contoured to the anatomical configuration of the mid-urethra, proximal urethra, and base of the bladder for implanting into the lower abdomen of a female;

the sling providing support to mid-urethral and bladder neck sphincteric continence sites as well as support for the base of the bladder, said sling defining in part a tissue remodeling portion fixedly attached to and surrounding a mesh section; and

b) a sling transfer instrument having a distal end and a proximal end, said instrument defining in part a progressively curved shaft portion positioned between distal and proximal ends with an attached insertion handle located at its proximal end, and a means for attaching said sling to the distal end of said shaft;

wherein the mesh section is comprised of absorbable polymers and filaments of the mesh section have a diameter of approximately 0.012 inch to 0.1 inch.

2. A surgical instrument for treating female urinary stress incontinence comprising:

a) a sling contoured to the anatomical configuration of the mid-urethra, proximal urethra, and base of the bladder for implanting into the lower abdomen of a female;

the sling providing support to mid-urethral and bladder neck sphincteric continence sites as well as support for the base of the bladder, said sling defining in part a tissue remodeling portion fixedly attached to and surrounding a mesh section; and

b) a sling transfer instrument having a distal end and a proximal end, said instrument defining in part a progressively curved shaft portion positioned between distal and proximal ends with an attached insertion handle located at its proximal end, and a means for attaching said sling to the distal end of said shaft;

wherein the mesh section is approximately 60 cm in length, approximately 1.5 cm to 3.0 cm at its widest and generally center-most position, and approximately 1.0 cm wide at each of its opposite ends.

3. A suprapubic method for treating female urinary stress incontinence comprising:

a) providing a sling defining in part a tissue remodeling portion and a mesh section, the sling contoured to the anatomical configuration of the mid-urethra, proximal urethra, and base of the bladder;

b) providing a first sling transfer instrument having a distal end and a proximal end with a progressively curved shaft portion, the progressively curved shaft portion positioned between the distal and proximal ends and having an insertion handle located at the instrument'"'"'s proximal end;

c) positioning the insertion handle of the first sling transfer instrument within the human hand and utilizing the insertion handle to guide a curved tip at the instrument'"'"'s distal end through the abdominal wall and through the retropubic space, allowing the tip of the instrument to be in contact with the posterior surface of the pubic bone as it traverses the retropubic space and continues into the vagina;

d) providing a second sling transfer instrument and repeating step (c) using the second sling transfer instrument;

e) performing cystoscopy when the curved tip of the first sling transfer instrument and the curved tip of the second sling transfer instrument are positioned within the vagina;

f) attaching the sling to the distal end of the first sling transfer instrument and the distal end of the second sling transfer instrument;

g) withdrawing or otherwise positioning the distal end of the first sling transfer instrument and the distal end of the second sling transfer instrument to cause the attached sling to form a U-shape around mid-urethral and bladder neck sphincter continence sites; and

h) displacing the sling from the first and second sling transfer instruments.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the adjusting of sling tension via a sling tension measurement component.