Patent ID: 8118826

Claim:
A suprapubic transurethral cystotomy apparatus used to create a surgical pathway from a bladder through an abdomen of a patient, comprising: an elongate hollow tubular body including a proximal portion and a distal portion inclined relative to one another, said distal portion adapted to be inserted through a urethra and into the bladder, said proximal portion adapted to remain outside of the urethra for manipulation of the distal portion into the urethra and within the bladder, said distal portion including a linear section extending along a linear axis and terminating at a distal end of the distal portion; an advancement member positioned within the tubular body for advancing and retracting movement, the advancement member having a distal end and a proximal end respectively located at the distal end and at the proximal end of the tubular body, the distal end of the advancement member extending out from the distal end of the tubular body in a linear path along the axis of the linear section of the distal portion of the tubular member to create the surgical pathway from the bladder through the abdomen with sufficient advancing movement of the advancement member while the distal end of the distal portion of the tubular body is located adjacent to a wall of the bladder; an indicator for indicating the axis of the linear section of the distal portion of the tubular body; and an alignment structure adapted to be located outside of the patient and operably attached between said proximal portion of said tubular body and said indicator, said alignment structure positioning the indicator in coaxial alignment with said axis of the linear section of said distal portion of said tubular body and permitting adjustable movement of the indicator along a range of distances along said axis relative to the distal end of the distal portion of the tubular body while maintaining said coaxial alignment.