Patent ID: 8852077

Claim:
A surgical assembly useful for treating urinary incontinence in a patient, the assembly comprising: a needle sized and shaped to extend substantially between an abdominal wall and vaginal tissue of a female patient, comprising a distal end and a proximal end; a length of implantable mesh comprising a middle portion, a first elongate end section extending from the middle portion to a first distal end and capable of extending between the abdominal wall and the vaginal tissue, and a second elongate end section extending from the middle portion to a second distal end and capable of extending between the abdominal wall and the vaginal tissue, a first sheath about at least a portion of the first elongate end section, a second sheath about at least a portion of the second elongate end section, and a connector comprising a connector proximal end and a connector distal end, the connector proximal end attached to the first elongate end section, the first sheath, or both, and the connector distal end adapted to engage the distal end of the needle in a manner that allows the needle to pull the connector through tissue.