The invention includes an expandable stent having a tubular shape when expanded, the shape including a portion t where the stent radius grows with stent length so that the growth in the portion is constant conductance growth or near-constant conductance growth. The invention includes sheaths that will encase the stent to restrict the growth of the stent to the desired expanded shape. The invention also includes expandable stent balloons that expand the stent to the desired shape configuration with constant or near constant conductance portion. The balloons can include a similar sheath or sleeve to restrict the balloon's growth to the desired shape. The stent radius growth can be piecewise, and is not necessarily 4.sup.th order growth, but can be such that r.sup.n/l is a constant in the portion, where n>4.

Apparatus and methods are provided for treating patients exhibiting symptoms of hypertension, isolated systolic hypertension, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, May-Thuner Syndrome or dyspnea by diagnosing and reducing narrowing of a patient's iliac vein caused by extrinsic localized compression using a stent having circumferential differential radial stiffness and delivery catheter for aligning and deploying such stents.

A method of implanting a prosthetic heart valve includes advancing a distal end portion of a catheter shaft through a patient's vasculature. The distal end portion of the catheter shaft includes an expansion device. A prosthetic heart valve is mounted on the expansion device with the expansion device and the prosthetic heart valve in a compressed configuration. The method further includes positioning the distal end portion of the catheter shaft and the prosthetic heart valve to an implantation location and expanding the prosthetic heart valve and the expansion device to an expanded configuration. The expansion device includes a main body and a plurality of projections extending radially from the main body. The projections are spaced apart relative to each such that there are grooves extending between adjacent projections providing perfusion passageways between the expansion device and the prosthetic heart valve when the expansion device is in the expanded configuration.

Medical devices including vascular access kits and related system and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, a vascular access system may include a first conduit, a second conduit, and an expandable stent that is coupled to both the first and second conduits such that there is a continuous lumen between the first conduit and the second conduit. Methods of deploying the vascular access system within the body of a mammal, more particularly, a human patient are disclosed. Methods of bypassing a section of vasculature of a mammal, more particularly, a human patient are disclosed. The vascular access system, when implanted and assembled, may be a fully subcutaneous surgical implant.

Methods and systems for attaching a radiopaque marker to a prosthetic heart valve to indicate a location of a commissure of the prosthetic heart valve are disclosed. As one embodiment, a prosthetic heart valve can include a frame including a plurality of struts forming a plurality of cells of the frame arranged between an inflow end and an outflow end of the frame, a plurality of leaflets arranged within the frame, at least one commissure comprising an attachment member arranged across a selected cell of the plurality of cells of the frame and attached to struts of the frame forming the selected cell, and commissure tabs of two adjacent leaflets coupled to the attachment member, and a radiopaque marker arranged on the attachment member of the commissure. The marker is configured to indicate a location of the commissure of the prosthetic heart valve.

The present disclosure describes medical devices comprising implantable expandable implants, such as stent-grafts. Such devices can comprise a constraining line. The constraining line can surround the proximal end of the expandable implant, and assist in positioning and deployment of the expandable implant within the body of the patient.

A medical device includes a scaffold crimped to a catheter having an expansion balloon. The scaffold is crimped to the balloon by a process that includes inflating the delivery balloon during a diameter reduction to improve scaffold retention and maintaining an inflated balloon during the diameter reduction and prior and subsequent dwell periods.

Methods and systems for attaching a radiopaque marker to a prosthetic heart valve to indicate a location of a commissure of the prosthetic heart valve are disclosed. As one embodiment, a prosthetic heart valve can include a frame including a plurality of struts forming a plurality of cells of the frame arranged between an inflow end and an outflow end of the frame, a plurality of leaflets arranged within the frame, at least one commissure comprising an attachment member arranged across a selected cell of the plurality of cells of the frame and attached to struts of the frame forming the selected cell, and commissure tabs of two adjacent leaflets coupled to the attachment member, and a radiopaque marker arranged on the attachment member of the commissure. The marker is configured to indicate a location of the commissure of the prosthetic heart valve.

Methods and systems for rotationally aligning a commissure of a prosthetic heart valve with a commissure of a native valve are disclosed. In some examples, a method can comprise advancing a distal end portion of a delivery apparatus toward a native valve; visualizing under fluoroscopy and for a selected imaging view, a position of a radiopaque marker on the distal end portion relative to a guidewire extending through the delivery apparatus, the marker circumferentially offset from a selected commissure of the radially compressed prosthetic valve by a predetermined amount that is determined based on the selected imaging view; rotating the delivery apparatus until the marker is centered along the guidewire; and advancing the distal end portion into the native valve and inflating the balloon to radially expand and implant the prosthetic valve in the native valve such that the selected commissure is aligned with a commissure of the native valve.

Balloon covers for a delivery apparatus for a prosthetic valve are disclosed. As one embodiment, a balloon cover includes first and second shell members that are configured to matingly engage with each other, each of the first and second shell members including a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having a larger width than the first portion. The first portions of the first and second shell members define a first cavity configured to receive a distal end portion of the delivery apparatus and at least a portion of an inflatable balloon mounted on the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus. The second portions of the first and second shell members define a second cavity configured to receive a positioning device mounted on the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus, proximal to a valve mounting portion of the distal end portion of the delivery apparatus.