referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views , fig1 illustrates a variable attachment surgical support apparatus 10 of the present invention . the apparatus 10 is configured to be surgically implanted in a female patient to repair anterior prolapse of the vagina . the present invention may be used to correct central defects , midline defects , or both midline and central defects at once . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , apparatus 10 comprises two superior attachment arms 12 , two inferior attachment arms 13 , and a support member 40 . each of attachment arms 12 and 13 include a connector 30 . each attachment arm 12 and 13 is covered by a sheath 14 . attachment arms 12 and 13 are connected to support member 40 by known means . sheath 14 is preferably of fabricated of polyethylene , although a variety of materials , such as polypropylene , nylon , polyester , or teflon ™ may be used while remaining within the scope of the invention . the sheath is configured to be removed from the attachment arm after the attachment arm is in the desired position in the body . attachment arms 12 and 13 are preferably about 19 inches long and about 0 . 433 inches wide . the attachment arms 12 and 13 are about 0 . 024 inches thick . attachment arms 12 and 13 are fabricated of a knit 4 or 6 mil polypropylene monofilament and are heat set at about 280 - 300 degrees fahrenheit for 5 - 8 minutes . also , in one embodiment , support member 40 is about 10 cm long by about 5 cm wide and about 0 . 021 inches thick . member 40 is knitted of 4 mil polypropylene monofilament and heat set at about 310 - 330 degrees fahrenheit for about 5 - 8 minutes . both the attachment arm and support member have a stitch count of 27 . 5 courses / inch (± 2 courses ) and 13 wales / inch (± 2 wales ). in another embodiment , the attachment arms are knitted with bar settings of : bar 1 : 1 / 0 , 2 / 1 and bar 2 : 0 / 1 , 1 / 2 . the support member is a large pore mesh , knitted with bar settings of : bar 1 : 1 / 0 , 2 / 3 , 2 / 1 , 2 / 3 , 1 / 0 , 1 / 2 , 1 / 0 , 1 / 2 ; bar 2 : 1 / 0 , 2 / 3 , 2 / 3 , 1 / 0 ; and bar 3 : 2 / 3 , 1 / 0 , 112 , 1 / 0 , 2 / 3 , 2 / 1 , 2 / 3 , 2 / 1 . the attachment arms are connected to the support member after knitting . weaving according to a given bar pattern is described , for example , in “ warp knitting production ” by dr . s . raz , melliand textilberichte gmbh , rohrbacher str . 76 , d - 6900 heidelberg , germany ( 1987 ), the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein . attachment arms 12 and 13 and or sheaths 14 may also include indicia thereon to signify the correct orientation for implantation into a patient . the indicia may include various markings , colors , apertures , symbols , or combinations thereof . further , the indicia may be located on the attachment arms , the sheaths , or both . in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 , sheaths 14 around attachment arms 12 include indicia 12 a to show that attachment arms 12 are the superior attachment arms , and sheaths 14 around attachment arms 13 include indicia 13 a to show that attachment arms 13 are the inferior attachment arms . apparatus 10 includes dilating connectors 30 . suitable dilating connectors are disclosed in published u . s . patent application serial nos . 2002 / 151762 and 2002 / 147382 and u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 386 , 897 , filed mar . 11 , 2003 . before implantation , support member 40 may be trimmed based on patient anatomy to provide a variable attachment arm position . shape of support member 40 allows the attachment arm positions to be customized to repair a cystocele without lifting a patient &# 39 ; s bladder and without placing undue tension on the bladder or vaginal wall . for example , fig1 illustrates a support member configured to maximize the distance between superior arms 16 and the inferior arms 18 . support 40 is cut along lines 20 and 22 to remove section 28 . similarly , support 40 is cut along lines 24 and 26 to remove section 30 . this results in the configuration illustrated in fig5 . in this configuration , the distance between superior arms 16 and inferior arms 18 can be maximized . superior arms 16 are flexible to allow for movement to a position substantially parallel to inferior arms 18 , or a position substantially skewed to inferior arms 18 . an alternative embodiment of the variable attachment surgical support apparatus 10 is shown in fig2 . before implantation , support member 40 can be trimmed to minimize the distance between superior arms 16 and the inferior arms 18 . support 40 is cut along lines 42 and 32 to remove section 38 . similarly , support 40 is cut along lines 34 and 36 to remove section 44 . this results in the configuration illustrated in fig6 . in this configuration , the distance between superior arms 16 and inferior arms 18 can be reduced . superior arms 16 are flexible to allow for movement to a position substantially parallel to inferior arms 18 , or a position substantially skewed to inferior arms 18 . with reference to fig3 and 4 , an embodiment of a attachment arm for a surgical apparatus is shown . in one embodiment , attachment arm 12 includes tensioning suture 17 . tensioning suture 17 passes through the mesh of attachment arm 12 multiple times , as shown in fig3 and 4 . tensioning suture 17 is affixed to attachment arm 12 at points 19 , to allow transfer of tension from the suture to the attachment arm . in one embodiment , tensioning sutures are included in all the attachment arms 12 and 13 of the support apparatus . tensioning suture 17 is configured to eliminate slack in a attachment arm that is already surgically implanted in the body . by tightening the attachment arm with suture 17 , rather than pulling on the attachment arm itself , the surgeon prevents damage to the attachment arm due to deformation . damage to surrounding tissues due to excessive movement of the attachment arm during adjustment can also be avoided . attachment arm 12 also includes a connection point for loosening suture 16 . loosening suture 16 is pulled by the surgeon to loosen the installed support member , if necessary . apparatus 10 can be fabricated from a variety of synthetic and non - synthetic material . suitable non - synthetic materials include allografts , homografts , heterografts , autologous tissues , cadaveric fascia , autodermal grafts , dermal collagen grafts , autofascial heterografts , whole skin grafts , porcine dermal collagen , lyophilized aortic homografts , preserved dural homografts , bovine pericardium and fascia lata . other examples of suitable materials include those disclosed in published u . s . patent application ser . no . 200210072694 . specific examples of synthetic materials include , but are not limited to , polypropylene , cellulose , polyvinyl , silicone , polytetrafluoroethylene , polygalactin , silastic , carbon - fiber , polyethylene , nylon , polyester ( e . g . dacron ) polyanhydrides , polycaprolactone , polyglycolic acid , poly - l - lactic acid , poly - d - l - lactic acid and polyphosphate esters . see cervigni et al ., the use of synthetics in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse , current opinion in urology ( 2001 ), 11 : 429 - 435 . with reference to fig9 , in another aspect , the present invention includes a surgical kit 400 . the kit 400 preferably includes at least two superior needles 70 r and 70 l . right superior needle 70 r is configured to be held in the surgeon &# 39 ; s right hand and such that the tip of the needle enters an incision on the left side of the patient where the left adductor longus tendon of the patient inserts into a left portion of the pubic ramus bone of the patient , lateral to the edge of the pubic ramus bone , and travels through the top of the left obturator foramen to exit through an incision in the vagina of the patient . left superior needle 70 l is configured to be held in the surgeon &# 39 ; s left hand and such that the tip of the needle enters an incision on the right side of the patient where the right adductor longus tendon of the patient inserts into a right portion of the pubic ramus bone of the patient , lateral to the edge of the pubic ramus bone , and travels through the top of the right obturator foramen to exit through an incision in the vagina of the patient . in alternative embodiments of the present invention , the kits may further include the needles described in published u . s . patent application ser . nos . 20023 - 006s246 - a1 ; 2002 - 0151762 - a1 ; 2002 - 0147382 - a1 ; 2002 - 0107430 - a1 , u . s . patent application ser . no . 2002 - 0099258 - a1 and u . s . patent application ser . no . 2002 - 0099259 - a1 ; and u . s . provisional application ser . nos . 60 / 263 , 472 , filed jan . 23 , 2001 ; 60 / 269 , 829 , filed feb . 20 , 2001 ; 60 / 281 , 350 , filed apr . 4 , 2001 ; 60 / 295 , 068 , filed jun . 1 , 2001 ; 60 / 306 , 915 , filed jul . 20 , 2001 , and 60 / 332 , 330 , filed nov . 20 , 2001 . in an embodiment that is particularly suitable for a transobturator surgical procedure , the needles include needles as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 306 , 179 filed nov . 27 , 2002 . various elements of the kits of the present invention may be packaged together as shown in fig9 with a cover 52 and tray 54 . alternatively , the individual elements may be separately packaged or packaged in subassemblies depending on a variety of factors such as shelf life and sterilization requirements . they may be assembled at the manufacturing location or at the healthcare location . any suitable sterilization procedure may be utilized to sterilize the contents of a kit . suitable sterilization techniques include , but are not limited to , steam , ethylene oxide , electron beam , vapor ( e . g . hydrogen peroxide or peracetic acid ), gamma or plasma procedures . the kit shown in fig9 includes a support apparatus including a mesh support member 40 . it should be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that kits using biological support members , as described above , may be made , and these modifications are within the scope of the invention as claimed . further , a kit comprising a biologic graft may have the biologic graft pre - attached to the attachment arms , or the graft may be separate from the attachment arms and require the surgeon to attach the attachment arms to the graft , as discussed below . the kit shown in fig9 also includes four needles : right inferior needle 60 r , left inferior needle 60 l , right superior needle 70 r , and left superior needle 70 l . embodiments of these needles are shown in fig1 - 21 and are described herebelow . fig1 - 16 illustrate an embodiment of right superior needle 70 r of the present invention . ( left superior needle 70 l is a mirror image of the right superior needle 70 r .) right superior needle 70 r includes indicia 71 r , handle 72 r , shaft 74 r , curved portion 76 r , and tip portion 78 r . indicia 71 r designates whether the needle is the right or left needle by pointing to the surgeon &# 39 ; s right or left side , as the surgeon holds the needle handle . ( the surgeon &# 39 ; s right side corresponds to the patient &# 39 ; s left side .) an exemplary shaft of left inferior needle 60 l without handle 62 l is illustrated in fig1 - 21 . ( right inferior needle 60 r is a mirror image of the left inferior needle 60 l .) left inferior needle 60 l includes a handle 62 l , a shaft 64 l , a curved portion 66 l , and a tip portion 68 l . left inferior needle 60 l is configured to be held in a surgeon &# 39 ; s left hand such that tip 68 l enters an incision 530 l on the right side of the patient where a right inferior edge of the pubic ramus bone of the patient ends at a bottom of the right obturator foramen of the patient , and travels through the right obturator foramen to exit through an incision in the vagina of the patient . right inferior needle 60 r is configured to be held in a surgeon &# 39 ; s right hand such that tip 68 r enters an incision on the left side of the patient where a left inferior edge of the pubic ramus bone of the patient ends at a bottom of the left obturator foramen of the patient , and travels through the left obturator foramen to exit through an incision in the vagina of the patient . this is shown in fig3 . the above - described needles may be disposable or reusable . fig2 and 24 are perspective views of a needle tips having a cross sections that are configured to match the cross sections of a connector aperture . fig2 shows that the cross section of portion 450 of needle tip portion 478 is a triangle . the cross section of portion 450 matches triangle shaped aperture 460 in connector 490 . fig2 shows that the cross section of portion 451 of needle tip portion 479 is a square . the cross section of portion 451 matches square shaped aperture 461 in connector 491 . in one embodiment each needle tip has a cross section that matches the cross section of an aperture of the corresponding connector , and the tip cross section is incompatible with the other connector apertures . for example , the cross section of the portion 450 , a triangle , would not fit in aperture 461 , a square , and vice versa . thus , even if the connectors are confused , it is physically impossible for a surgeon to insert the needle tip in the incorrect connector without damaging the tip or connector . other shaped tips and apertures are possible while remaining within the scope of the invention . fig2 - 32 illustrate an exemplary method for using the disclosed surgical support apparatus 10 having a mesh support member 40 . in preparation for surgery , the patient is placed in a modified dorsal lithotomic position with hips flexed , legs elevated in stirrups and buttocks even with edge of the surgical table . the patient &# 39 ; s bladder is emptied . a catheter is not required during the procedure , but may aid in identifying the urethra during the procedure . a weighted vaginal retractor or other suitable vaginal retraction may also be used . next , it is necessary to mark the length of the vaginal incision with a skin pencil starting below the bladder neck , over the most prominent part of the prolapse , to the lowermost part of the prolapse . ( variations may occur in specific incisions due to individual technique and patient anatomy .) an incision is made over this marking . the incision site may be infiltrated with saline , if desired . an allis forceps is placed on the incision margin to expose the incision . the patient &# 39 ; s bladder is dissected off the vagina up to the lateral sulcus and posterior to the vaginal vault . this dissection allows palpation of the medial edge of the inferior pubic ramus , assisting in guiding the superior and inferior needles to the exit points free from the bladder . the patient &# 39 ; s cystocele may then be reduced using midline plication . markings are then made to identify the locations for needle entry incisions . the vaginal dissection is completed prior to marking needle entry incisions to allow for digital palpation along the ischiopubic ramus . the needle entry points are palpated internally and externally with the thumb and index finger before marking , as discussed hereafter . next , the edge of the ischiopubic ramus is palpated beginning at the level of the vaginal incision , continuing along the edge of the bone cephalad toward the level of the clitoris denoting where the adductor longus tendon inserts into the pubic ramus . the superior skin incisions are marked approximately at this location and lateral to the edge of the bone . the markings are made according to the same method on both sides ( right and left ) of the patient &# 39 ; s body . both marks lie in a straight line at the approximate level of the clitoris . the edge of the inferior pubic ramus is palpated until it ends at the bottom of the obturator foramen . the inferior skin incisions are then marked . the inferior skin incisions are located at a point approximately 3 centimeters below and 2 centimeters lateral to the superior marks . again , the markings are made according to the same method on both sides of the patient &# 39 ; s body . a small vertical stab incision is made over all four markings to provide needle entry incisions . right superior incision 540 r , left superior incision 540 l , right inferior incision 530 r , and left inferior incision 530 l are all shown in fig2 . ( right and left with regard to the incisions are the patient &# 39 ; s right and left sides .) the surgical kit described with reference to fig9 is opened . the package integrity is checked to ensure that the kit was not compromised in shipping , and the components of the kit are inspected for damage . the following method describes the attachment arms on the surgeon &# 39 ; s right side ( the patient &# 39 ; s left side ) being surgically installed before the attachment arms on the surgeon &# 39 ; s left side ( the patient &# 39 ; s right side ). however , it should be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that the attachment arms of either side could be installed first , and this modification is within the scope of the invention as claimed . tip 78 r of right superior needle 70 r is then inserted through left superior incision 540 l , through the left obturator foramen , and then through the vaginal incision 524 . tip of right superior needle 70 r is pointed perpendicular to the skin with tip 78 r in the left superior incision 540 l , shown in fig3 . the thumb from the surgeon &# 39 ; s right hand is on the outside curve of needle to control the needle movement as it perforates the obturator membrane and muscle . the right thumb pushes the needle through the obturator muscle and membrane . the needle shaft and handle is positioned at a 45 ° angle to the patient &# 39 ; s vertical axis and close to the patient &# 39 ; s body . the needle handle is rotated to move the needle tip and curve around the posterior surface of the ischial pubic ramus toward the vaginal incision and index finger . ( if the needle tip hits the pubic bone during rotation , the needle is retracted . the needle tip is then penetrated beyond initial insertion depth and rotate again toward the vaginal incision .) the needle tip is palpated with the surgeon &# 39 ; s finger . the finger meets the needle tip as it moves around the pubic ramus . ( if the needle tip cannot be located , the needle tip is retracted to just behind the pubic ramus and advanced again .) the needle tip is guided by the surgeon with the surgeon &# 39 ; s finger towards the vaginal incision until the needle tip extends through the vaginal incision , shown in fig2 and 28 . the support member is then oriented so that the tail of the graft points away from the surgeon . the right superior connector is connected to the tip of the right superior needle , the tip extending out of the vaginal incision , as shown in fig3 . the superior needle connectors are closest to the leading edge of the graft that will be below the bladder neck . before attaching the connectors , the surgeon ensures that the self - fixating mesh and graft are not twisted . however , the connectors are removable once snapped onto the needle . this feature of the invention enables the physician to make adjustments to support member 40 as needed . for example , a surgeon may wish to remove area 28 and area 30 of support member 40 to increase the distance between superior arms 16 and inferior arms 18 . alternatively , a surgeon may wish to remove area 38 and area 44 of support member 40 to decrease the distance between superior arms 16 and inferior arms 18 . the connector 30 is attached to the needle 78 and the needle is rotated back through the skin incision pulling the connector and associated insertion sheath and graft into position . the process is then repeated with the left needle on the patient &# 39 ; s right side . during the procedure , it may be desirable to remove the connector 30 from the needle 78 . this process will be discussed with reference to fig3 and 34 . connector 30 includes deflector tabs 102 and 104 . needle 78 is inserted into connector 30 and locked in place between tabs 102 and 104 . to retract needle 78 from connector , removal tool 106 is used . removal tool 106 includes a first inclined surface 108 and a second inclined surface 110 . as tool 106 is moved toward needle 78 , surface 110 contacts tab 102 and surface 108 contacts tab 104 . as tool is moved closer toward needle 78 , tab 102 moves away from tab 104 as shown in fig3 . this configuration allows for deflection of the connector 30 to enable the needle 78 to separate from connector . tool 106 can be disposed into connector 30 through aperture 112 . tool can be removed from aperture , or slidably fastened thereto while remaining within the scope of the invention . it shall be understood that removal tool 106 can comprise a variety of configurations while remaining within the scope of the invention . the partially implanted apparatus is shown in fig3 , with superior attachment arms and support member 40 implanted and the inferior attachment arms extending outside the body through the vaginal incision . the insertion sheaths and mesh are then cut below the indicia on the end portion of the plastic sheath and discarded . this step allows the sheath to slide freely relative to the mesh . the sheaths are not removed at this time . next , the tip of the right inferior needle is inserted through left inferior incision 530 l , through the left obturator foramen , and then through the vaginal incision . the tip of the right inferior needle is pointed perpendicular to the skin with the tip in the left inferior incision . the exit point for the needle is confirmed to be clear of the bladder wall by the surgeon placing their right index finger at the distal end of the vaginal incision and visualizing where needle exits the distal end of vaginal incision . the surgeon &# 39 ; s right thumb is on the outside curve of needle to control the needle movement as it perforates the obturator membrane and muscle . the right thumb pushes the needle through the obturator muscle and membrane . the needle shaft and handle is positioned parallel to the patient &# 39 ; s vertical axis and close to the patient &# 39 ; s body . the needle handle is rotated , moving the needle tip and curve toward the distal end of the vaginal incision . the surgeon must use care during this step to prevent bleeding . the needle tip is then palpated as it moves through the distal end of the vaginal incision . the right inferior needle tip is shown extending outside the vaginal incision in fig3 . the right inferior connector is connected to the right inferior needle tip . again , before attaching the connectors , the surgeon ensures that the self - fixating mesh and graft are not twisted . however , the connectors are removable once snapped onto the needle . the needle is rotated back through the skin incision pulling the connector and associated plastic insertion sheath and graft into position . the above process is repeated with the left inferior needle on the patient &# 39 ; s right side . the insertion sheath and mesh are then cut below the indicia on the end portion of the plastic sheath and discarded . this step allows the sheath to slide freely relative to the mesh . the sheaths are not removed at this time . next , it is desirable to perform a cystoscopy to check the integrity of the uterus and bladder . any vaginal retraction is then removed to allow adjusting the tension of the mesh to reduce bladder bulge . the surgeon confirms the mesh is lying flat and not overlapping under the vaginal wall . the superior leading edge of the support member should be positioned below the bladder neck without tension . the inferior tail portion of the support member should is positioned at the distal end of the vaginal incision or towards the vaginal apex without tension . if the mesh needs to be loosened , an instrument may be placed between the mesh and vaginal wall and pulled down , or away from the vaginal wall until proper tension is achieved . each of the four plastic sheaths are removed and discarded , while ensuring the support member graft is not over tensioned . once the plastic sheaths are removed , further adjustment is minimized . if the mesh requires tightening , the tensioning suture exiting the skin incision on each side is grasped using a hemostat . the suture is wrapped around the hemostat to improve the grip and pulled up or out to tighten until proper tension is achieved . to loosen a biologic graft , the surgeon uses a hemostat or a clamp to pull from each of the hanging loosening sutures . the surgeon uses the clamps to pull down and loosen the attachment arm mesh as desired . the surgeon should exercise caution to avoid pulling on tab 18 on loosening suture 16 to loosen the attachment arm mesh . next , the surgeon cuts one end of each loosening suture and pulls tab 18 until the entire loosening suture is removed . the mesh is then trimmed at the level of the subcutaneous tissue and all five incisions are closed . excess vaginal tissue may be excised . variations of this step may occur due to individual technique and patient anatomy . the final implanted apparatus is shown in fig3 . after the operation , a catheter and / or vaginal pack can be used at the discretion of the surgeon , but should be removed prior to discharge . during this time , antibiotic prophylaxis should be given . the ability of the patient to empty the bladder should be confirmed prior to discharge . if a biologic graft is used , the following steps are performed before making the vaginal incision . the biologic graft is removed from the package and prepared per included instructions , if needed . a precut biologic is prepared by orienting the graft with the tail portion pointing at the surgeon . the graft material is inserted into the open clamp using printed marks as guides to center the graft . ( the printed side of the plastic sheath is facing the surgeon as the surgical apparatus is placed in the body .) the clamp is released to secure graft material . a desired suture is passed up through the clamp using a suturing mark as a guide . the suture is then passed down using the opposite suturing mark as the guide . the passed sutures are then secured using the surgeon &# 39 ; s knot ( s ) of choice . additional throws are made if needed . the clamp sutures are cut by passing a scissors or a scalpel down the scissors slot on each side of the clamp . the clamps are then removed . the clamp attachment sutures remain with the clamp . the surgeon assesses the attachment of the graft material mesh tape . the protective sheath is slid over the mesh connection to aid deployment . the preceding steps are repeated on the opposite side of the graft . the sutures are passed such that the attachment knots are all on the same side of the graft . the biologic is placed in a saline bath to keep it hydrated during the remainder of the procedure . the graft tail is trimmed at the time of vaginal marking and dissection to reflect patients anatomy , if needed . in addition , when using the biologic graft , the surgeon should exercise care when drawing the attachment arm through the body so that the sheath covers the graft connections and that the graft material and graft connections are not damaged . all patents , patent applications , and publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if individually incorporated . various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in view of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are offered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof .
an apparatus for repairing cystocele including an adjustable support member , a pair of superior support arms continuously knitted with said support member , and a pair of inferior support arms continuously knitted with said support member , wherein the distance between the pair of superior support arms and pair of inferior support arms can be increased or decreased by modifying the shape of the support member .