A balloon catheter system for insertion into a patient comprising: a balloon catheter comprised of a tube having a first end, a second end opposite of the first end, a central bore fluidically coupling an inlet at the first end of the tube with an outlet at the second end of the tube and a lumen fluidically coupling a connector disposed adjacent the first end of the tube with a balloon disposed adjacent to the second end of the tube, the balloon being formed by a tubular film sealed at opposite ends of the tubular film to an external surface of the tube, the lumen having a lumen outlet such that fluid injected into the connector and through the lumen exits through the external surface of the tube at the outlet and into an expandable cavity between the balloon, which is made of a flexible, resilient material, and the external surface of the tube, whereby the balloon is capable of being expanded by injecting fluid into the expandable cavity through the lumen; a detachable dilator adapted for being coupled to the outlet of the tube, such that the dilator is held in place during insertion of the tube, and adapted for being detached from the tube after the tube is inserted, wherein the dilator comprises a sheath portion and a nose, the nose having an external surface that transitions from a first external diameter at a nose tip to a second external diameter at a portion of the nose adjacent to the outlet of tube, when the dilator is coupled to the outlet of the tube, and an internal surface providing a channel through the nose, the sheath portion extending from the nose and over the outlet of the tube and over at least a portion of the balloon, the dilator being made of a digestible material and/or a bioabsorbable material; and an annular shaft (20, 61) adapted for being inserted through the central bore of the tube and through at least a portion of the channel of the nose, when the dilator is coupled to the outlet of the tube, and the annular shaft is capable of being removed from the central bore of the tube, after the tube is inserted into the patient, by pulling on an extraction portion of the annular shaft (20, 61) extending from the inlet of the tube. a balloon catheter comprised of a tube having a first end, a second end opposite of the first end, a central bore fluidically coupling an inlet at the first end of the tube with an outlet at the second end of the tube and a lumen fluidically coupling a connector disposed adjacent the first end of the tube with a balloon disposed adjacent to the second end of the tube, the balloon being formed by a tubular film sealed at opposite ends of the tubular film to an external surface of the tube, the lumen having a lumen outlet such that fluid injected into the connector and through the lumen exits through the external surface of the tube at the outlet and into an expandable cavity between the balloon, which is made of a flexible, resilient material, and the external surface of the tube, whereby the balloon is capable of being expanded by injecting fluid into the expandable cavity through the lumen; a detachable dilator adapted for being coupled to the outlet of the tube, such that the dilator is held in place during insertion of the tube, and adapted for being detached from the tube after the tube is inserted, wherein the dilator comprises a sheath portion and a nose, the nose having an external surface that transitions from a first external diameter at a nose tip to a second external diameter at a portion of the nose adjacent to the outlet of tube, when the dilator is coupled to the outlet of the tube, and an internal surface providing a channel through the nose, the sheath portion extending from the nose and over the outlet of the tube and over at least a portion of the balloon, the dilator being made of a digestible material and/or a bioabsorbable material; and an annular shaft (20, 61) adapted for being inserted through the central bore of the tube and through at least a portion of the channel of the nose, when the dilator is coupled to the outlet of the tube, and the annular shaft is capable of being removed from the central bore of the tube, after the tube is inserted into the patient, by pulling on an extraction portion of the annular shaft (20, 61) extending from the inlet of the tube.