One embodiment is directed to a method for providing surgical access across a wall of a tissue structure, comprising: advancing a helical needle into the wall of the tissue structure such that the needle pulls an intercoupled suture member across the wall to form a deployed suture pattern, the deployed suture pattern being characterized in that: the portion of the suture member encapsulated by the wall of the tissue structure is substantially helical in formation and represents a number of helical loops that is greater than about one helical loop, and is less than about three helical loops; portions of the suture member on either side of the wall are in a slack configuration such that tension in the suture member arising from the encapsulated portion pulls in additional length from the slack configuration on either side of the wall to accommodate expansion of the substantially helical encapsulated portion.