A device for maintaining or achieving soft tissue expansion applicable to any body region already temporarily expanded including: an adhesive element deformable and capable of adapting to the shape of this body region, and which can then itself become mechanically rigid enough to resist tendency of the expanded tissue to recoil or to which a second material can be applied to form a stent adapted to the shape of the body area to provide the necessary structural rigidity to prevent recoil of the expansion and thereby induce its retention of its expanded shape after the stent is removed.

Described are methods and apparatus for use in supporting tissue in a patient's body. In some embodiments, the patient's breast or another tissue is supported. One method involves introducing a superior soft tissue anchor into a patient, the anchor having an inferiorly facing total surface area; and introducing at least one inferior soft tissue anchor into the patient, such that the at least one inferior soft tissue anchor is suspended from the superior soft tissue anchor, the sum of all of the at least one inferior soft tissue anchors having a superiorly facing total surface area. The inferiorly facing total surface area of the superior anchor can be greater, such as at least two times greater than the superiorly facing total surface area of the at least one inferior anchor.

A device for maintaining or achieving soft tissue expansion applicable to any body region already temporarily expanded including: an adhesive element deformable and capable of adapting to the shape of this body region, and which can then itself become mechanically rigid enough to resist tendency of the expanded tissue to recoil or to which a second material can be applied to form a stent adapted to the shape of the body area to provide the necessary structural rigidity to prevent recoil of the expansion and thereby induce its retention of its expanded shape after the stent is removed.

Improvements for use with tissue expanders are provided. A tissue expander includes: a selectively inflatable and deflatable shell that is configured to be implanted; and an access port for selectively inflating and deflating the shell, the access port comprising a sidewall, a base at a first end, and a membrane at a second end opposite the first end wherein the sidewall and the base of the access port are constructed of a material that is non-reactive with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine; and a structure of the access port is composed of a material that has a rate of temperature change lower than that of human tissue.

Devices, systems and methods for compressing, cutting, incising, reconfiguring, remodeling, attaching, repositioning, supporting, dislocating or altering the composition of tissues or anatomical structures to alter their positional or force relationship to other tissues or anatomical structures. In some applications, the invention may be used to used to improve patency or fluid flow through a body lumen or cavity (e.g., to limit constriction of the urethra by an enlarged prostate gland).

A system and associated method for manipulating tissues and anatomical or other structures in medical applications for the purpose of treating diseases or disorders or other purposes. In one aspect, the system includes a delivery device and a plurality of anchor assemblies. The delivery system is configured to deliver a first anchor using loaded energy and reload the energy required to deliver an addition anchor.

A dilator configured for separating subcutaneous fat from glandular tissue includes a center section, a first end section extending from a first end of the center section, the first end section extending nonparallel to the center section, the first end section having a first diameter, and a second end section extending from a second end of the center section opposite the first end, the second end section extending nonparallel to the center section, the second end section having a second diameter different than the first diameter. A retractor includes a handle, a shaft extending from the handle, and a head located at a shaft end opposite the handle. The head includes a plurality of teeth, each tooth having a tooth end curving downwardly from a head outer surface, adjacent teeth spaced from one another by a tooth gap therebetween, the plurality of teeth having unequal tooth lengths.

An occluder support and a preparation method thereof are disclosed. The occluder support includes a mesh body and a trailing structure connected to the mesh body. The trailing structure is inwardly folded into a blunt shape.

A brassiere comprising a first aperture, a second aperture, a first shell and a second shell. The first shell has a first rim extending laterally outwardly therefrom, the first aperture dimensioned and configured to receive one or both of the first shell and first rim. The first rim non-fixedly positionable in contact with skin of a wearer. The second shell has a second rim extending laterally outwardly therefrom. The second aperture is dimensioned and configured to receive one or both of the second shell and second rim, the second rim non-fixedly positionable in contact with skin of the wearer wherein the first and second rims are slidable outwardly while maintaining contact with the skin.

A prosthetic implant transfer device is provided that may be used to insert a prosthetic implant through a surgical opening. In some embodiments, the device may comprise a flexible sheet of material that may be formed into an elongated hollow structure. The flexible sheet of material includes a plurality of fasteners that may be selected and engaged to define a desired size distal opening.