Transobturator surgical articles and methods

A method of treating incontinence in a female patient comprising the steps of:

• a. creating a vaginal incision and a pair of pelvic incisions, each of the pair of pelvic incisions substantially aligned with the patient's obturator foramen on opposite lateral sides of the vaginal incision and wherein both pelvic incisions lie in a straight line approximately at the level of the patient's clitoris;
• b. providing an elongate surgical instrument comprising first and second ends and an elongate implant for treating incontinence;
• c. passing one of the ends of the instrument between the vaginal incision, through one obturator foramen, and one of the pelvic incisions;
• d. associating the implant with the instrument;
• e. using the instrument to pass the implant through the tissue between the vaginal incision and the one pelvic incision such that the implant extends between the vaginal incision, through the one obturator foramen, and one of the pelvic incisions;
• f. subsequently passing one of the ends of the instrument between the vaginal incision, through the other obturator foramen, and the other pelvic incision;
• and
• g. using the instrument to extend the implant between the vaginal incision, through the other obturator foramen, to the other pelvic incision such that the implant then extends from one pelvic incision to the other pelvic incision, through both obturator foramen and between the patient's urethra and vaginal wall.