A suture needle having a bendable region includes an elongated body having a proximal section, a distal section, and a bendable region located between the proximal and distal sections. The bendable region has a reduced cross-section and/or is made of a superelastic material that is more flexible than the proximal and distal sections of the elongated body for enabling the suture needle to transform from a first configuration having a larger dimension to a second configuration having a smaller dimension. When in the first configuration, the suture needle is larger than an inner diameter of an elongated conduit of a trocar. In order to pass the suture needle through the elongated conduit of the trocar, the elongated body is bent at the bendable region so that the suture needle is smaller than the inner diameter of the elongated conduit of the trocar. After passing the suture needle through the trocar, the elongated body is bent back to the first, larger dimension to configure the suture needle for use for suturing tissue.

An elastic suture needle for passing through a smaller cannula used in minimally invasive surgery includes an elongated body having a proximal end, a distal end, a length extending from the proximal end to the distal end, a top surface extending along the length of the elongated body, and a bottom surface extending along the length of the elongated body. The elongated body has dimensions that are calculated using the equation T/L.sub.N<(4*)/(E), where T is the thickness of the elongated body, L.sub.N is the length of the neutral axis of the elongated body, is the yield strength of the elongated body, and E is the Young's modulus of the elongated body. The elongated body is made of stainless steels such as martensitic stainless steels, austenitic stainless steels, martensitic-aged (mar-aged) stainless steels, and stainless steels sold under the registered trademark ETHALLOY Needle Alloy.

A medical suture needle made of stainless steel includes a cutting blade component and a body part continuing to the cutting blade component. The cutting blade component, whose degree of thickness decreases from the body part to a sharp point, includes a first cutting blade part and a second cutting blade part continuing from the first cutting blade part. The first cutting blade part includes two first slanted surfaces formed sandwiching an apex and a first bottom surface sandwiched by the two first slanted surfaces. Cutting blades are formed at an edge constituting the apex and at edges where the first bottom surface and the two first slanted surfaces intersect. The second cutting blade part includes first slanted surfaces, second slanted surfaces having rims approximately parallel to the apex and formed on the respective first slanted surfaces, and a second bottom surface sandwiched by the second slanted surfaces.

This surgical needle may reduce unwanted and unanticipated tissue distortion and/or tearing and undesirable scar tissue during wound healing. The surgical needle will guide tissue separation more properly along planes of tissue stress, minimizing tissue distortion and improving tissue apposition.

A suture device including: an elongated shaft member; a pair of gripping members; and a passing mechanism that transfers a suture needle between the gripping members, wherein the passing mechanism is provided with fitting holes provided in the individual gripping members and to which the suture needle is fitted, holding members that are inserted into recessed portions in outer circumferential surface of the suture needle by being pulled toward the proximal end sides thereof in directions that intersect axes of the individual fitting holes, a swing member that is provided so as to be swingable about an axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, a pair of tensile-force transmitting members that transmit tensile forces that cause the swing member to be swung, axial-force transmitting members that transmit axial forces associated with swinging of the swing member, and hold-state maintaining mechanism that maintains the holding members in the recessed portions.

Apparatus and methods to reduce ventricular volume are disclosed. The device takes the form of a transventricular anchor, which presses a portion of the ventricular wall inward, thereby reducing the available volume of the ventricle. The anchor is deployed using a curved introducer that may be inserted into one ventricle, through the septum and into the opposite ventricle. Barbs or protrusions along the anchor body combined with a mechanical stop and a sealing member hold the device in place once deployed.

A method of making a surgical suture having a reformed tip includes providing an elongated fiber having a first end, a second end, a central axis extending between the first and second ends thereof, and an outer surface that defines a cross-sectional dimension of the elongated fiber, and compressing a center region of the elongated fiber that is located between the first and second ends thereof for reshaping the center region into a core mass and a deformed mass that extends laterally outside the cross-sectional dimension of said elongated fiber. The method includes separating the deformed mass of the center region from the core mass of the center region so that only the core mass remains for interconnecting the first and second ends of the elongated fiber, and after separating the deformed mass from the core mass, reshaping the core mass into a reformed mass having a reformed mass central axis that is offset from the central axis of the elongated fiber.

Apparatus and methods to reduce ventricular volume are disclosed. The device takes the form of a transventricular anchor, which presses a portion of the ventricular wall inward, thereby reducing the available volume of the ventricle. The anchor is deployed using a curved introducer that may be inserted into one ventricle, through the septum and into the opposite ventricle. Barbs or protrusions along the anchor body combined with a mechanical stop and a sealing member hold the device in place once deployed.

Disclosed are devices and methods for delivering several sutures accurately and simultaneously around the perimeter of an annular prosthetic device (prosthetic heart valve, annuloplasty ring, etc.) to secure the prosthetic device within a native heart valve region. Devices can comprise a proximal handle portion including an actuator and a distal suturing portion including several curved and straight needles arrayed around the shaft axis. The straight needles and the curved needles are configured to simultaneously guide a plurality of sutures through the native tissue and through the annular prosthetic device. The actuator can cause the straight needles to move axially relative to the curved needles and can also cause the curved needles to rotate, such that the motions are coordinated to simultaneously place all the sutures.

Provided herewith is a needle for delivering dermal filler thread to a wrinkle in a patient. The needle can also be used to deliver the thread to a patient for the purposes of facial contouring. The needle comprises a coupler for attaching the thread to the needle and also a trocar to ease delivery through the skin.