SURGICAL TUBULAR MEMBER

摘要

This invention provides a tubular member that can be surgically inserted into the common bile duct of a patient to perform the functions of providing, through its interior, a conduit for drainage of bile from inside that duct to a location outside of the body wall of the patient and, subsequently, with its exterior, promoting the growth of a fistulous tract between the outside of the body wall of the patient and the inside of the duct through which an instrument, such as a steerable basket catheter and the like, that has been non-surgically inserted into the duct via the interior of the tubular member for removal of an object, such as a retained stone and the like, contained therein, can be nonsurgically withdrawn together with the object and the tubular member itself to a location outside of the body wall of the patient. The invention comprises a hollow tubular member having the shape of a "T", with the "T" including a crossbar that can be flexed and inserted into the common bile duct through an opening that has been surgically made through the duct wall and a stem which has its junction with the crossbar constructed such that the distal end of the stem which then extends through the duct opening can be extended outwardly through an incision that has been surgically made through the body wall of the patient. The crossbar and stem each have only a single lumen through its interior, with the single lumen of the stem being fluid-connected to the single lumen of the crossbar at the junction of the stem and the crossbar. The stem has, along its entirety, both inside and outside diametric dimensions that are, respectively, greater than the inside and outside diametric dimensions of the crossbar.