a guidewire to guide the insertion catheter through the vessel lumen. A second inner track opens at the near end of the insertion catheter for allowing fluid communication with an inflatable and deflatable tip balloon located at the remote end of the insertion catheter for dilating the vessel ahead of the graft and controlling blood flow through the vessel during placement. A third inner track opens at the near end of the insertion catheter for allowing fluid communication with an inflatable and deflatable graft balloon located near the remote end of the insertion catheter generally for securing the graft spring means against the interior surface of the vessel during graft deployment.
An optional spool apparatus may also be incorporated into the deployment means for collapsing a deployed graft andeasier introduction, and once properly positioned, may be inflated further so as to obstruct blood flow in the aorta just above the aorto-renal junction. With aortic blood flow obstructed, the insertion catheter is rotated so that the sheath introducer and compressed graft therewithin are best aligned to match the bends in the patient""s aorta. Next, the spring portion associated with the proximal end of the graft is observed for correct axial alignment within the vessel at a location just below the aorto-renal junction.
Once proper positioning and alignment of the apparatus are observed, the sheath introducer is withdrawn a short distance while holding the push rod in place to release the proximal spring portion of the graft from within a remote end of the sheath passage and allow it