Patent ID: 8257356

Claim:
A method of treating a patient, the method comprising: advancing a distal end of a guidewire into the patient's body from a first site, advancing adjacent to a target tissue, and out of the body from a second site, while maintaining a proximal end of the guidewire outside the body at the first site; coupling an end of the guidewire on or near a distal end of a surgical device outside of the body by inserting the end of the guidewire at an angle relative to the distal end of the surgical device into a channel at or near the distal end of the surgical device and rotating one or both of the end of the guidewire and the distal end of the surgical device to lock the guidewire and the surgical device together; pulling the guidewire to guide the surgical device adjacent to the target tissue; and withdrawing the surgical device and end of the guidewire from the patient while maintaining the guidewire within the body and de-coupling the end of the guidewire from the surgical device and coupling the end of the guidewire on or near a distal end of a second surgical device outside of the body by inserting the end of the guidewire at an angle relative to the distal end of the second surgical device into a channel at or near the distal end of the second surgical device and rotating one or both of the end of the guidewire and the distal end of the second surgical device to lock the guidewire and the second surgical device together, wherein at least one of the surgical device and the second surgical device comprises an abrasive surface.