One aspect of the present disclosure includes a system comprising prosthetic chordae, at least one attachment member including a channel, a female securing member, and a papillary penetration member configured to pass through the channel, the chordae, and the securing member when implanted in a patient's heart. The penetration member includes an axis.

A retainer for assembling tissue thickness compensators to a surgical stapler can comprise a grip, a first surface for supporting a first tissue thickness compensator, a second surface for supporting a second tissue thickness compensator, and clips for aligning and attaching the retainer to the surgical stapler. The clips may align and attach the retainer to a staple cartridge of the surgical instrument. The clips may align the retainer with an anvil of the surgical instrument. An insertion tool may be used in combination with the retainer to insert the retainer into the surgical stapler and to push the tissue thickness compensators against the anvil and/or the staple cartridge of the surgical instrument.

A surgical stapler, or fastening instrument, may generally comprise a layer, such as a tissue thickness compensator, for example, releasably attached to a fastener cartridge and/or anvil by a flowable attachment portion. The flowable attachment portion may be indefinitely flowable. The flowable attachment portion may be flowable from the time that layer is installed to the fastener cartridge to the time in which the layer is implanted to patient tissue. The flowable attachment portion may comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive. The flowable attachment portion may comprise an adhesive laminate comprising a base layer comprising the tissue thickness compensator and an adhesive layer on at least a portion of a surface of the base layer comprising the pressure sensitive adhesive. Articles of manufacture comprising flowable attachment portion and methods of making and using the flowable attachment portion are also described.

A staple cartridge comprising a cartridge body, staples, and a compensator is disclosed. The cartridge body comprises staple cavities. The staples are removably positioned within the staple cavities. The staples are ejectable from the staple cavities. The compensator comprises an implantable body, a shell contained within the implantable body, and a plurality of resilient members positioned within the shell. The shell defines an inner space. At least a portion of a resilient member of the plurality of resilient members is connected to the shell. The inner space is compressible. The inner space has an unruptured volume when the shell is in an unruptured state. The staples are configured to rupture the shell when the staples are ejected from the staple cavities.

Felt material (1) comprising a multitude of fibers (2) for use in a method of repairing or augmenting human or animal soft tissues (3), wherein the felt material (1) is in the form of a matting or felted patch (9) comprising a first surface (5) and oppositely arranged a second surface (6) for contacting a surface of soft tissue (3), and wherein some of the fibers (2) of the felted patch (9) are pushed or pulled through the second surface (6) into the soft tissue (3) by means of a needle (10) producing a connection between the felt material (1) and the soft tissue (3). Further, a set of instruments is provided which comprises a needle (10), a stitching device (30) and a clamping device (20) comprising a first jaw (21a) which is frame-like configured permitting the tip portion of the needle (10) to penetrate the first jaw (21a) and a second jaw (21b) with a cavity (29) configured to receive the tip portion of the needle (10).

Disclosed are embodiments of a device for occluding a left atrial appendage (LAA) and other cavities or openings within a body. Some embodiments of the device can include an implant configured to be deployed within the LAA or other cavity, configured to be expanded or moved against a wall portion of the LAA or other cavity, and configured to twist at least a portion of the LAA or other cavity when the implant is rotated. Thereafter, one or more securing elements, staples, sutures, or other fasteners can be implanted in the gathered tissue to hold the tissue in the gathered state, thereby occluding the opening of the LAA or other cavity. In some embodiments, the opening of the LAA or other cavity can be occluded by elongating or otherwise reshaping the opening using an implant device, and securing the opening in the occluded state.

Abdominal closure reinforcement methods and tissue anchoring devices for reducing the rate of abdominal wall closure dehiscence are described. The tissue anchors avoid a permanent footprint of foreign material and precluding materials spanning the interior layer of the abdominal closure where risk to visceral structures exists.

Disclosed are embodiments of a method for occluding a left atrial appendage (LAA) and other cavities or openings within a body. Some embodiments of the method can include an implant configured to be deployed within the LAA or other cavity, configured to be expanded or moved against a wall portion of the LAA or other cavity, and configured to twist at least a portion of the LAA or other cavity when the implant is rotated. Thereafter, one or more securing elements, staples, sutures, or other fasteners can be implanted in the gathered tissue to hold the tissue in the gathered state, thereby occluding the opening of the LAA or other cavity. In some embodiments, the opening of the LAA or other cavity can be occluded by elongating or otherwise reshaping the opening using an implant device, and securing the opening in the occluded state.

A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapler. The assembly has a cartridge body having a support portion with a plurality of staple cavities with openings. There is also a plurality of staples, wherein at least a portion of each the staple is removably stored within a staple cavity. Each the staple is movable between an unfired position and a fired position, and is deformable between an unfired configuration and a fired configuration. The assembly also includes a compressible tissue thickness compensator configured to be captured within the staples. The compressible tissue thickness compensator at least partially covers the staple cavity openings. The compressed tissue thickness compensator is configured to assume different compressed heights within different the staples. The compressible tissue thickness compensator comprising a lyophilized foam having an anti-microbial agent embedded therein.

A combined magnetic and bioabsorbable device for ventral hernia closure and/or tension distribution for maintenance of tissue apposition for healing, while avoiding a long-term footprint of foreign material and precluding materials spanning the interior layer of the abdominal closure where risk to visceral structures exists.