A balloon catheter is a type of "soft"

catheter In medicine, a catheter (/ˈkæθətər/) is a thin tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgical procedure. Cath ...

with an

inflatable An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflata ...

"balloon" at its tip which is used during a catheterization procedure to enlarge a narrow opening or passage within the

body Body may refer to: In science * Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space * Body (biology), the physical material of an organism * Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...

. The deflated balloon catheter is positioned, then inflated to perform the necessary procedure, and deflated again in order to be removed. Some common uses include: *

angioplasty Angioplasty, is also known as balloon angioplasty and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), is a minimally invasive endovascular procedure used to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries or veins, typically to treat arterial atheroscle ...

balloon septostomy Balloon septostomy is the widening of a foramen ovale, patent foramen ovale (PFO), or atrial septal defect (ASD) via cardiac catheterization (heart cath) using a balloon catheter. This procedure allows a greater amount of oxygenated blood to ente ...

, via

cardiac catheterization Cardiac catheterization (heart cath) is the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart. This is done both for diagnostic and interventional purposes. A common example of cardiac catheterization is coronary catheterization that ...

(heart cath) *

tuboplasty Tuboplasty refers to a number of surgical operations that attempt to restore patency and functioning of the fallopian tube(s) so that a pregnancy could be achieved. As tubal infertility is a common cause of infertility, tuboplasties were commonly ...

via

uterine The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the female reproductive system, reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic an ...

catheterization *

pyeloplasty Pyeloplasty is performed to treat an uretero-pelvic junction obstruction if residual renal function is adequate. This revision of the renal pelvis treats the obstruction by excising the stenotic area of the renal pelvis or uretero-pelvic juncti ...

using a detachable inflatable balloon stent positioned via a cystocopic transvesicular approach.

Angioplasty balloon catheters

Balloon catheters used in angioplasty are either of Over-the-Wire (OTW) or Rapid Exchange (Rx) design. Rx catheters nowadays are about 90% of the Coronary Intervention market. While OTW Catheters may still be useful in highly tortuous vascular pathways, they sacrifice deflation time and pushability. When a balloon catheter is used to compress plaque within a clogged coronary artery, it is referred to as a ''plain old balloon angioplasty'' or POBA. Balloon catheters are also utilized in the deployment of

stents In medicine, a stent is a metal or plastic tube inserted into the lumen of an anatomic vessel or duct to keep the passageway open, and stenting is the placement of a stent. A wide variety of stents are used for different purposes, from expanda ...

during

. Balloon catheters are supplied to the

cath lab A catheterization laboratory, commonly referred to as a cath lab, is an examination room in a hospital or clinic with diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualize the arteries of the heart and the chambers of the heart and treat any stenosis ...

with a stent pre-mounted on the balloon. When the

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...

inflates the balloon it expands the stent. When the cardiologist subsequently deflates the balloon, the stent stays behind in the artery and the balloon catheter can be removed. Stents that are used in conjunction with a balloon catheter are known as balloon expandable stents, as opposed to self-expandable stents, typically made of Nitinol alloy. OTW Vs

Ureteric (pyeloplasty) balloon catheter

Ureteric balloon catheter A ureteric balloon catheter is a balloon catheter intended for treating strictures of the ureter. In fact it is a double J stent on which a balloon is mounted. It is connected to a delivery device (pusher) to introduce it from the bladder into ...

s are used to treat ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstructions caused by intrinsic wall factors as

fibrosis Fibrosis, also known as fibrotic scarring, is a pathological wound healing in which connective tissue replaces normal parenchymal tissue to the extent that it goes unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodelling and the formation of perma ...

and / or hypertrophic wall problems. They can also help to solve Brickers bladder (also called

Ileal conduit An ileal conduit urinary diversion is one of various surgical techniques for urinary diversion. It has sometimes been referred to as the Bricker ileal conduit after its inventor, Eugene M. Bricker. It is a form of incontinent urostomy, and was de ...

) problems. Their application is significantly less invasive than other treatments for

obstructive uropathy Obstructive uropathy is a structural or functional hindrance of normal urine flow, sometimes leading to renal dysfunction (obstructive nephropathy). It is a very broad term, and does not imply a location or cause. Presentation Symptoms, less lik ...

References

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External links

Video of how the original balloon embolectomy catheter works
From MIT Press. American inventions Catheters de:Angioplastie#Ballondilatation

Angioplasty balloon catheters

Ureteric (pyeloplasty) balloon catheter

See also

References

External links