Fasteners, deployment systems, and methods for ophthalmic tissue closure and fixation of ophthalmic prostheses and other uses

A method for ophthalmic tissue fixation, the method comprising:

• piercing an ophthalmic tissue surface with a first end of a first leg of a surgical fastener at a first penetration site;
• advancing the first leg within tissue underlying the surface along a first path;
• piercing the tissue surface with a second end of a second leg of the surgical fastener at a second penetration site;
• advancing the second leg within the tissue along a second path, the first and second paths forming opposed oblique angles with the tissue surface and the first path and the second path extending along a leg deployment plane, the paths having a path separation different than a penetration site separation between the penetration sites, wherein a base of the fastener comprises an elongate body having an axis extending between the legs, the axis having a bend protruding from the leg deployment plane and along a base surface extending across the leg deployment plane;
• and
• reconfiguring the base of the surgical fastener by deforming the bend of the base in a plane transverse to the leg deployment plane, thereby inhibiting withdrawal of the legs along the paths, and to maintain the base surface along the tissue surface such that the fastener is affixed to the tissue adjacent the first and second legs.