DR. GWYN F MCNEELY, M.D.
Radiology at 11 Pl, Gainesville, FL

5458583, Oct 17, 1995

Jun 12, 1994

8/289841

Gwyn F. McNeely - Gainesville FL
Christine Decaria - Sunnyvale CA
Stephen Parks - Redwood City CA

Medical Innovations Corporation - Milpitas CA

A61M 2900

604 96

A system and method for inserting a gastrostomy catheter through a passageway formed through the abdominal and stomach walls of a patient. The gastrostomy catheter is mounted onto a dilatation catheter with a dilatation member such as an inelastic balloon on the distal extremity thereof. An introducer needle is first advanced through the walls of the patient's abdomen and stomach into the interior of the stomach and then a guidewire is advanced through the inner lumen of the needle into the stomach interior. The gastrostomy catheter-dilatation catheter assembly is advanced over the guidewire until the balloon on the dilatation catheter is in proper position crossing both the abdominal and gastric walls. Upon inflation of the balloon on the dilatation catheter, the passageway is expanded enough so that the gastrostomy catheter can be advanced therethrough to dispose the distal end of the gastrostomy catheter within the interior of the stomach. The balloon on the distal end of the gastrostomy catheter is inflated so as to form an internal retention member and the catheter withdrawn in order to urge the inflated balloon against the stomach wall.