Method and apparatus for treating a patient by intentionally occluding a blood vessel, including method and apparatus for inducing weight loss in a patient by intentionally occluding the celiac artery

Abstract

A method for inducing weight loss in a patient, the method comprising delivering an apparatus to a target area in the blood vessel. The apparatus includes a first portion for preventing migration of the apparatus from the target area within the blood vessel, and a second portion that remains implanted in the blood vessel after deployment of the apparatus at the target area in the blood vessel and is configured to selectively expand and contract to provide partial or full occlusion of the blood vessel. The method further comprises expanding the second portion of the apparatus to at least partially occlude the blood vessel, allowing a period of time to pass after deployment of the apparatus to the target area in the blood vessel, contracting the second portion, and removing at least the second portion of the apparatus from the blood vessel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of at least partially occluding a blood vessel, the method comprising the steps of:
 delivering an apparatus to a target area in the blood vessel, the apparatus comprising:
 a first portion for preventing migration of the apparatus from the target area within the blood vessel; and 
 a second portion that remains implanted in the blood vessel after deployment of the apparatus at the target area in the blood vessel and is configured to selectively expand and contract to provide partial or full occlusion of the blood vessel; 
   expanding the second portion to at least partially occlude the blood vessel;   allowing a period of time to pass after deployment of the apparatus to the target area in the blood vessel;   contracting the second portion; and   removing at least the second portion of the apparatus from the blood vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a stent. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises a balloon. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blood vessel is the celiac artery. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the target area is a trunk of the celiac artery. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blood vessel is selected from the group consisting of the left gastric artery, the right gastric artery, the left gastroepiploic artery, the right gastroepiploic artery, the common hepatic artery and other celiac artery branches.