Methods of providing access to a salivary duct

摘要

Methods of treatment are described. More particularly, methods of providing access to a bodily passage, such as a salivary duct, are described herein. For example, methods of providing access to a salivary duct and introducing a sheath and wire guide are described herein. In addition, various methods of treatment are described herein. For example, methods of treating a stone located within a salivary duct are described herein.

主权项

1. A method of providing access to a salivary duct having a salivary duct opening, the method comprising the steps of:
inserting a balloon catheter having a balloon catheter proximal end and a balloon catheter distal end into said salivary duct opening such that the balloon catheter distal end is disposed in said salivary duct, the balloon catheter comprising a sheath, an elongate tubular member, and a balloon disposed on the elongate tubular member and moveable between a deflated configuration and an inflated configuration, the sheath having a sheath distal end; navigating the balloon catheter distal end into said salivary duct such that a portion of the balloon is disposed within said salivary duct; passing a fluid into the balloon to move the balloon from the deflated configuration to the inflated configuration and to dilate said salivary duct opening to a dilated salivary duct opening; removing a portion, or the entirety, of the fluid from the balloon; advancing the sheath distally to pass the sheath distal end through the dilated salivary duct opening such that a portion of the sheath is disposed within said salivary duct; and withdrawing the elongate tubular member from said salivary duct.