Patent ID: 7184827

Claim:
A method for treating a dilatation of a body, including the steps of: inserting a catheter into a localized region of said body; exuding from said catheter a substance capable of perfusing into at least some tissue in said localized region and allowing said substance to perfuse into a tissue of said localized region; emitting from said catheter energy of a frequency and in an amount effective to heat the substance to a temperature at which it is readily absorbed into a wall of said dilatation; softening tissue of a wall of said dilatation by application of additional energy at a frequency and power level effective to preferentially heat said tissue of said walls while minimizing thermal injury to an inner surface of said dilatation; and permanently contracting said dilatation by applying a vacuum by means of at least one suction port so that the dilatation shrinks to a desired diameter.