Patent attributes
A method of surgically accessing and making an incision in a selected part of a body includes inserting a needle into part of the body and withdrawing fluid from the body through the needle to determine if the needle is located in the selected part of the body. Once properly located, a blade is moved along the length of the needle, making an adjacent incision. A depth of the blade relative to the end of the needle is indicated to the user. A surgical apparatus includes a hollow needle, having a needle point and a needle wall that defines a needle tube. A blade having a cutting edge and a blade base adjacent to the cutting edge is located adjacent to the needle wall. A platform slidably engages the needle for sliding along the length of the needle and holding the blade base adjacent to the needle.