Patent ID: 7527588

Claim:
An assembly for placement of a surgical implant having at least one implant extension portion, the assembly comprising: a guide element having a tissue penetrating distal end; a cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, and a channel extending therethrough within which the guide element is slidably received such that the tissue penetrating tip of the guide element extends outward from the distal end of the cannula, wherein the cannula further includes a resilient end region that assumes a first shape when the guide element is received therein, and assumes a second shape when the guide element is removed from the cannula, the second shape having a greater curvature than the first; and a retrieval device having a capture element at a distal end thereof adapted to be coupled with the implant extension portion of the surgical implant, wherein the cannula having the guide element slidably received therein is dimensioned to extend through a patient's pelvic cavity from an external incision and out through a vaginal incision, and the cannula channel is dimensioned allow passage therethrough of the retrieval device and coupled implant extension portion.