SUTURE NEEDLES HAVING BENDABLE REGIONS

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.