Importance

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Abstract

A urethral catheter having an adjustable dilating balloon length for dilating a prostatic urethra and a method for using same. The device includes a catheter to which a Foley balloon is affixed at the distal end, and to which a dilating balloon is annularly affixed, and includes means to independently expand and contract the balloons. Concentrically encompassing the catheter is a sheath or ring, which in one embodiment slides along the outside of the catheter. With the method of the present invention, the affected prostatic urethra is measured using a cystoscope and a calibrated catheter or other known measurement means. The sheath of an adjustable catheter of one embodiment of the present invention is set to the measured length by covering a portion of the dilating balloon with the sheath. The dilating catheter is inserted through the urethra until the balloon at the distal end is located within the bladder, at which point it is inflated and the dilating catheter is anchored in position. Then the dilating balloon is inflated to force the prostate away from the urethra. The dilating balloon may be left in place for periods of up to an hour or more to optimize the dilation effect, at which point the balloons are deflated and the dilating catheter is removed. With a further embodiment, the length of the dilating balloon is adjusted by severing portions of an adjustable length sheath to expose the length of balloon desired.

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First Claim