Patent ID: 8882652

Claim:
An apparatus adapted to be immovably implanted in a body tissue of a patient for preventing incontinence in the patient, the apparatus comprising: a tubular body inside of which is a first longitudinal guiding element; a tube-shaped retaining element connected to the tubular body and inside of which is a second longitudinal guiding element that opens in an axial direction into a termination on a side of the tube-shaped retaining element, the tube-shaped retaining element comprising a reversible stretchable and compressible metal grille having a polymer coating so that the metal grille is air-tight and fluid-tight at the termination in a region of a transition thereof to the tubular body; and a fixing device for fixing the apparatus in a state in which the apparatus is immovably implanted in the body tissue of the patient, the fixing device comprising the first longitudinal guiding element defining areas with projections that are axially spaced relative to each other, the projections comprising slits which protrude out of a surface of the first longitudinal guiding element in a non-extended state of the projections and being configured to be immovably implanted in the body tissue of the patient in an axially extended state of the projections when the first longitudinal guiding element is compressed in an axial direction.