摘要 |
A method for treating the heart (26) and associated vessels and tissues by controlling the temperature of the pericardial space (34) and/or introducing therapeutic agents thereto includes providing a fluid, liquid, gas or mixtures thereof with or without therapeutic agents, and heating and/or cooling this fluid (110). At a time proximate to the heating and/or cooling of the fluid, the pericardial space is accessed by pericardial centesis (100), such that the pericardium (24) is punctured, the pericardial space (34) is instrumented at a location, and in particular a location where treatment is desired. The heated and/or cooled fluid is then delivered to the pericardial space (34). At a time after delivery, the fluid is withdrawn from the pericardium (24) through the same instrument (104), or through another instrument a different point along the pericardium (24) that was also instrumented by standard pericardial centesis procedures. This delivery and withdrawal of the fluid (110) may be coordinated so as to form a circuit.
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