Page 1 of 1

balloons

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:08 am
by Cece
http://www.ventionmedical.com/Documents ... nPaper.pdf
Everything you ever wanted to know about angioplasty balloons but were afraid to ask....

from page 13:
MULTILUMEN BALLOONS
Balloons can be created with multiple lumens or
channels so as to allow the balloon to perform
multiple functions in both the inflated and
deflated state.3 For example, a multiple lumen
balloon can be fabricated so as to allow blood to
profuse (flow) through one or multiple lumens
while the other lumens inflate to perform
angioplasty.
This is surely more expensive than a normal balloon and I don't think it would allow for high pressure. But in my case, since my left IJV was 99% closed, when my RIJV was first ballooned, it cut off the flow. A mulitlumen balloon would've allowed the flow to continue through the balloon itself which might have been easier on the brain.

If it were possible to determine which jugular had less flow as seen in the pre-imaging doppler and to start with that one, that might also be a solution. It would be good to minimize possible insult to the brain, particularly since our brains are weakened from MS and CCSVI, so a disruption of flow that could normally be handled by a brain without issue might not be as easily handled by our brains.

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:13 am
by Cece
Page 15 shows the "dog bone" balloon that I once asked Dr. Sclafani about! Here is the explanation for what use a dogbone balloon might be:
Two discrete balloons or a "dog bone" shaped balloon can be used to seal off an area to be treated without subjecting too large an area to the medication. This also limits the amount of some times very toxic and/or expensive medication needed.
Not useful in CCSVI treatment as far as I can tell.

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:48 pm
by David1949
Wow that's amazing stuff. I had no idea there were so many types of balloons available. The MULTILUMEN balloon seems like a good idea because it allows some blood flow during inflation. It's been reported that some IRs use fairly long inflation times, during which blood flow is completely stopped. That never seemed like a good idea to me. As I recall brain cells start to die after 5 minutes without oxygen.

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:50 pm
by Cece
It's as thorough a paper on balloons as I could imagine finding. :)

Blood flow is completely stopped in the vein being ballooned, but there are other veins, which is why the assumption would be that the blood would find another way out. Of course, in a CCSVI patient, that assumption can't really be made. Good point about it being more of a problem with the longer inflation times.

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:08 pm
by Cece
Another quote:
High-pressure balloons are also used and being developed to dilate restrictions and blockages
virtually anywhere in the body. These uses include:

• Esophogeal dilatation
• Billiary dilatation
• Urethral dilatation
• Fallopian tube dilatation
• Heart value dilatation
(valvuloplasty)
• Tear duct dilatation
• Carpal tunnel dilatation

Many of these markets are new and
emerging such as carpal tunnel dilatation
while others such as valvuloplasty have
been around for many years. All of these
applications benefit from high pressure,
low compliance, low profile balloons.
The majority of the time, valvuloplasty is what CCSVI treatment is, although this is referring to valvuloplasty of the heart valves.