| abstract |
The invention is directed to an intravaginal staple for occluding a female patient's uterine artery in the treatment of a uterine disorder such as fibroids, DUB, PPH, uterine bleeding after caesarian delivery and the like. The intravaginal staple includes an occluding bar having a pressure applying surface and at least one and preferably two tissue penetrating legs which are provided with protuberances which help to retain the staple leg within the penetrated tissue. At least part of the staple is preferably formed of bioabsorbable material so that it will in part self destruct at a preselected time period by separation of staple components caused by the bioabsorption of a bioabsorbable portion of the staple. The staple deployment system may be provided with elongated handles and staple deploying mechanisms on the distal ends of the handles to drive the legs of the staple into the tissue bundle about the uterine artery so that pressure applied by the occlusion bar occludes the uterine artery. |