Patent ID: 9561126
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: A61F,Y10S

Claim:
1. A method of positioning first and second stents at a vessel bifurcation such that a portion of each stent is disposed in a main vessel portion proximal of the bifurcation and a portion of each stent is disposed in a branch vessel or main vessel portion distal of the bifurcation, the method comprising: first, advancing a first catheter including a first inflatable balloon having a first expandable stent thereon through the main vessel portion proximal of the bifurcation to the bifurcation such that a distal end of the first catheter extends past the vessel bifurcation and into the main vessel portion distal of the bifurcation, wherein the first catheter is advanced such that a distal portion of the first stent is positioned in the main vessel portion distal of the bifurcation and a proximal portion of the first stent is positioned in the main vessel portion proximal of the bifurcation; second, only partially expanding the first stent in the main vessel portion proximal of the bifurcation and the main vessel portion distal of the bifurcation; third, after partially expanding the first stent, advancing a second catheter including a second inflatable balloon having a second expandable stent thereon through the main vessel portion proximal of the bifurcation to the bifurcation and through the partially expanded first stent such that a distal end of the second catheter extends through a side opening in the partially expanded first stent, past the vessel bifurcation and into the branch vessel, wherein the second catheter is advanced such that a distal portion of the second stent is positioned in the branch vessel and a proximal portion of the second stent is positioned in the main vessel portion proximal of the bifurcation; and fourth, after advancing the second stent through the partially expanded first stent, then fully expanding the first stent and expanding the second stent in the main vessel portion proximal of the bifurcation and the branch vessel; wherein a proximal portion of each of the first and second stents resides in the main vessel portion proximal of the bifurcation, a distal portion of the first stent resides in the main vessel portion distal of the bifurcation, and a distal portion of the second stent resides in the branch vessel.