Surgical instruments

A surgical instrument for addressing pelvic disorders comprising:

• a handle having a width, height and depth, and said handle further having a proximal and distal end, and a longitudinal axis along its height, and
• an elongate, slender, metal, curved rod emerging from the distal end of the handle, the rod having a proximal end portion permanently fixed to the handle, a curved axis, and a distal end portion having a distal tip, the elongate curved rod having at least a portion with a radius and a length along the curved axis between the distal tip of the rod and a point on the rod axis where the rod emerges from the handle, the length being between about 6 inches and about 12 inches;
• the handle having a major anterior surface having a width and height, the major anterior surface being situated to face a surgeon with the rod extending generally toward the surgeon, a major posterior surface having a width and height, at least two minor side surfaces having a depth and height, the width of the handle being in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rod, the handle having a height more than forty percent of the length of the rod and less than eighty percent of the length of the rod, and the depth of the handle being less than the height of the handle,
• said major anterior surface of the handle including an elongate channel extending across the width of the handle with an axis that extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle, and
• said major anterior surface further including a plurality of tactile surfaces distal to the elongate channel, said plurality of tactile surfaces extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle.