Patent ID: 8753260

Claim:
A surgical method for correcting vaginal prolapse in a patient, comprising: providing a first surgical instrument and a second surgical instrument, the first and second surgical instruments including a handle and a needle portion, the needle portion having a straight portion emerging from the handle and a generally helical portion having a distal end region, wherein the straight portion of the first and second instruments has a longitudinal axis and the generally helical portion has an axis that is not parallel to the axis of the straight portion; providing a mesh implant; creating a vaginal incision; passing the distal end region of the first surgical instrument through the obturator foramen on a first side of the patient and then through the vaginal incision; associating the implant with the first surgical instrument; passing the distal end region of the second surgical instrument through the obturator foramen on a second side of the patient and then through the vaginal incision; associating the implant with the second surgical instrument; moving the distal end region of the first surgical instrument from the vaginal incision through the patient's obturator foramen on the first side of the patient with an end of the implant associated with the distal end region of the first surgical instrument; and moving the distal end region of the second surgical instrument from the vaginal incision through the patient's obturator foramen on the second side of the patient with an end of the implant associated with the distal end region of the second surgical instrument.