Filtration systems with integrated filter element(s) forming portions of the wall of the filtration catheter are disclosed. The filtration catheters disclosed herein are designed to be used alone or in conjunction with another filter device to provide embolic protection of both carotid arteries. Occlusive element such as balloon is placed on the exterior of the filtration catheter to redirect blood flow in the vessels during the filtration process as well as to help anchor the filtration catheter inside the vessel. The integrated filter element(s) does not require collapsing thus significantly reduces the complexity of the filtration system retrieval process and the chances of releasing emboli back into the blood stream. The compact design of the filtration systems makes them particularly suitable for embolic protection during endovascular procedures on or close to the heart.

Interventional procedures on the carotid arteries are performed through a transcervical access while retrograde blood flow is established from the internal carotid artery to a venous or external location. A system for use in accessing and treating a carotid artery includes an arterial access device, a shunt fluidly connected to the arterial access device, and a flow control assembly coupled to the shunt and adapted to regulate blood flow through the shunt between at least a first blood flow state and at least a second blood flow state. The flow control assembly includes one or more components that interact with the blood flow through the shunt.

In some aspects, a surgical procedure for the removal of a prostate gland is provided. The procedure comprises: (a) positioning an implant material within the urethra, (b) removing the prostate, thereby cresting a urethral stump and a bladder neck, wherein the implant material occupies the urethral stump, the bladder neck, or both, and (c) securing the bladder neck to the urethral stump in an anastomosis procedure to establish a path of urine flow from the bladder to an external urethral opening (e.g., the meatus). Subsequently, the implant material is removed from the urethra, for example, by natural urine voiding or by flowing a removal fluid through and/or around the implant material in the urethra. In other aspects, a medical kit is provided.

A method and a medical elongate body are configured to prevent stagnation or turbulence of blood flow in a recess of a rugged pattern formed in a blood vessel due to bulging of a blood vessel wall at a lesion part of the blood vessel. The method involves partitioning an inside of the blood vessel into upstream and downstream sides of the recess, and introducing gel into the recess to at least partially fill the recess. A blood vessel lumen forming method and medical elongate body to form such a lumen are other aspects of the disclosure and involve introducing gel into the recess to at least partially fill the recess with the gel, and drilling the gel to remove at least some of the gel to form a passage and secure blood flow in the blood vessel.

A catheter for prevention of stroke by diverting and filtering the blood flow to carotid and vertebral arteries is provided. The catheter includes at least one balloon with an outer mesh cover that expands upon the balloon inflation and collapses upon balloon deflation. Partial inflation of balloons provides for full mesh expansion in the target vessel with resulting capturing and retrieval of embolic particles. The inflation of the balloon in the aortic arch or head vessels expands the balloon associated filtering mesh leading to both filtering and deflection of embolic particles from the cerebral circulation, while balloon deflation triggers the mesh collapse and promotes its recapturing and retrieval while minimizing the risk of spillage of captured emboli.

Various systems and methods are provided for reducing pressure at an outflow of a duct such as the thoracic duct or the lymphatic duct. In one embodiment, an indwelling catheter can be configured to be at least partially implanted within a vein of a patient in the vicinity of an outflow port of a duct of the lymphatic system. The catheter can include first and second restrictors each configured to at least partially occlude the vein within which the catheter is implanted and thus to restrict fluid flow within the vein when the restrictors are activated. The restrictors can each be configured to move between an activated configuration, in which the restrictor occludes the vein, and a relaxed configuration, in which the restrictor does not occlude the vein. The catheter can include a pump, such as an axial motor pump, configured to pump fluid through the catheter.

Medical instruments, systems, and methods for applying energy to tissue, and more particularly ablating, sealing, coagulating, shrinking or creating lesions in tissue by means of contacting a targeted tissue in a patient with a vapor phase media wherein a subsequent vapor-to-liquid phase change of the media applies thermal energy to the tissue to cause an intended therapeutic effect. Variations include devices and methods for generating a flow of high-quality vapor and monitoring the vapor flow for various parameters with one or more sensors. In yet additional variations, the invention includes devices and methods for modulating parameters of the system in response to the observed parameters.

Catheter based systems for isolated stenting of an intravascular lesion can include two expandable occlusion devices with a balloon expandable stent or self-expanding stent therebetween. Expandable occlusion devices can be expanded in a distal direction and a proximal direction in relation to the lesion to occlude vasculature. A treatment agent can be injected into a cavity formed between the expandable occlusion device. A coating can be applied to one or both occlusion devices to prevent adherence to the treatment agent. The stent can be deployed across the lesion while the occlusion devices are in place. Fragments dislodged during stenting can be aspirated.

Catheter based systems for isolated stenting of an intravascular lesion can include two expandable occlusion devices with a self-expanding stent or a balloon expandable stent therebetween. Expandable occlusion devices can be expanded in a distal direction and a proximal direction in relation to the lesion to occlude vasculature. The stent can be deployed across a lesion while the occlusion devices are in place. One or both of the occlusion devices can include a fluid impermeable membrane to occlude blood flow. One or both of the occlusion devices and the stent can be surrounded by a sheath. The sheath can be retracted to allow one or both of the occlusion devices and the self-expanding stent to self-expand. Fragments dislodged from the lesion during stenting can be aspirated.

A dual balloon catheter having two independently inflatable balloons that provides complete or intermittent synchronous occlusion of blood vessels (such as the contralateral iliac veins, for example) via the balloons, which can be used for the purpose of decreasing the pressure in the inferior vena cava, which results in decongestion of the kidneys, liver/splanchnic compartment, lymphatic system, and the heart.