Method of treating incontinence

Abstract

An implant for use in the treatment of urinary incontinence includes a suburethral support and an anchor portion extending from the support portion. The support portion is operatively positionable at or distal to the bulbar urethral complex and the anchor portion is operatively extensible through the obturator foramen.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for treating urinary incontinence in a male patient, the method comprising:
 providing an implant having a support portion, a first arm extending from the support portion and a second arm extending from the support portion;   making an incision in the male patient;   placing the first arm of the implant through the incision, through a first obturator foramen of the patient, and adjacent a first descending ramus of the male patient;   placing the second arm of the implant through the incision and extending the second arm toward a second obturator foramen of the patient adjacent to a second descending ramus of the male patient; and   positioning the support portion of the implant through the incision such that the support portion of the implant is located under the bulbar urethral complex and extends upwardly to a pubic bone of the male patient.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising attaching the support portion of the implant to the pubic bone of the patient. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising suturing the support portion of the implant to tissue of the pubic bone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising tacking the support portion of the implant to the pubic bone. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising attaching the support portion to periosteum tissue of the pubic bone. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second arms and the support portion of the implant are implanted through a single incision. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the incision is a incision. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising dissecting tissue and exposing the bulbar urethra through the incision. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the implant as provided includes the first arm extending substantially parallel to the second arm. 
     
     
         11 . An implant for treating male urinary incontinence, the implant comprising:
 a support portion having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the support portion being configured to support the bulbar urethral of a male patient;   a first pair of parallel arm portions extending in a first direction from the first side of the support portion;   a second pair of parallel arm portions extending in a second direction from the second side of the support portion that is opposite to the first direction in which the first pair of parallel arm portions extend.   
     
     
         12 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the support portion of the implant is substantially rectangular. 
     
     
         13 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein one of the first pair of parallel arm portions is formed as a single piece with one of the second pair of parallel arm portions. 
     
     
         14 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein one of the first pair of parallel arm portions is the same length as one of the second pair of parallel arm portions. 
     
     
         15 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein one of the first pair of parallel arm portions is adapted to extend through a first obturator of the male patient and one of the second pair of parallel arm portions is adapted to extend through a second obturator of the male patient. 
     
     
         16 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the implant forms an H-shape. 
     
     
         17 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the support portion defines a first side having a common, parallel edge with one of the first pair of arm portions and one of the second pair of arm portions. 
     
     
         18 . The implant of  claim 17 , wherein the support portion defines a second side that is substantially parallel to and opposite the first side, the second side having a common, parallel edge with one of the first pair of arm portions and one of the second pair of arm portions. 
     
     
         19 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the support portion is a central support portion. 
     
     
         20 . A method for treating male urinary incontinence in a male patient, the method comprising:
 making an incision and exposing a bulbar urethra of the patient;   inserting an implant through the incision, the implant including a support portion, a first pair of arm portions, and a second pair of arm portions, the support portion including a front, a back, a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first pair of arm portions extending from the first side of the support portion and the second pair of arms extending from the second side of the support portion and in an opposite direction to the first pair of arms;   extending the support portion of the implant under the bulbar urethral complex; and   tensioning the first and second pairs of arm portions to achieve suburethral compression.   
     
     
         21 . A method for treating urinary incontinence in a male patient, the method comprising:
 providing an H-shaped implantable device having a central support portion;   making a non-scrotal incision in a human patient;   placing arm portions of the implant through the incision and extending the arm portions toward first and second obturator foramen, respectively, of the patient;   positioning a central support portion of the implant through the incision and under the bulbar urethral complex of the male patient; and   tensioning the implant to achieve suburethral compression.