A surgical instrument for implanting a semi-rigid medical implant. The surgical instrument includes a shaft, an accessory shaft, an actuation mechanism and an implant engagement mechanism. The shaft has a channel formed therein. The shaft has a proximal end and a distal end. The accessory shaft is slidably mounted in the channel. The accessory shaft has a proximal end and a distal end. The actuation mechanism is mounted to the shaft proximate the proximal end thereof. The actuation mechanism is capable of causing the accessory shaft to slide with respect to the shaft. The implant engagement mechanism is attached to the distal end of the accessory shaft. The implant engagement mechanism is capable of engaging a semi-rigid surgical implant.