CATHETER HAVING EXCHANGEABLE BALLOON

摘要

An intravascular balloon catheter (10) comprises a tubular catheter body (12) having a balloon structure (14) removably mounted over the catheter body. The catheter body has a guidewire lumen (20), and the catheter body may be left in place within a patient's vasculature while the balloon structure is withdrawn and optionally a second balloon structure introduced over the catheter body. The catheter and methods of the present invention are particularly suitable for performing angioplasty and subsequent procedures, such as stent placement, which are best performed using successive interventional balloon structures.