Abstract: A T-fastener installation kit includes a packaging device for loading the T-fastener into a slotted needle without requiring the hands of the surgeon to touch the sharp end of the needle. T-fasteners may be commonly used, for example, in surgical procedures in which the T-fasteners are used to secure a patient's stomach or bowel in apposition to the abdominal wall. The packaging device includes a housing having a cylindrical recess into which the "T" head of the T-fastener is loaded. The surgeon can slide the open end of the slotted needle into the cylindrical recess and over the "T" head of the T-fastener, thereby effectively loading the T-fastener into the slotted needle without requiring the surgeon to touch the sharp point of the needle.