Methods for deployment of an implant

A method of deploying an expandable implant within a patient's urethra, the method comprising:

• inserting into the urethra an implant in a delivery configuration in which the implant is fully housed and retained within a shaft lumen;
• advancing a distal end of the shaft distally along the urethra to, or distally beyond, the patient's bladder neck;
• after the advancing, withdrawing the implant in the delivery configuration and the shaft back from the bladder neck in a proximal direction;
• transitioning the implant from the delivery configuration into a partially-housed configuration in which the implant is at least partially-uncovered from but still retained by the shaft;
• positioning the implant at a target site within the urethra at a longitudinal position in the urethra proximal to the bladder neck;
• and
• deploying the implant at the target site by transitioning the implant from the partially-housed configuration to a deployed configuration in which the implant is fully exposed and released from the shaft.

A delivery system configured to deliver and deploy an expandable implant within a patient's urethra, comprising:

• a shaft defining a lumen configured to fully house and retain the implant;
• and
• a retainer disposed within the shaft and configured to releasably retain the urethral implant during delivery;
• with the implant fully housed within the shaft and retained by the retainer, a distal end of the shaft configured to be (1) advanced distally along the urethra to, or distally beyond, the patient's bladder neck, and (2) withdrawn proximally along the urethra from the bladder neck;
• with the implant fully housed within the shaft and retained by the retainer, the shaft being configured to be retracted proximally relative to the implant to a partially-retracted position in which the implant is at least partially-uncovered from the shaft while still being retained by the retainer,
• with the implant at least partially-uncovered from the shaft while still being retained by the retainer, the shaft being configured to be further retracted relative to the implant to an extent sufficient to release and fully expose the implant from the shaft.