Cervical cerclage assistance device

1. A method of performing cervical cerclage, comprising:

inserting a catheter with an inflatable balloon and supporting a removable barrier structure at a distal end portion thereof to a position proximate a patient's cervix, wherein the removable barrier structure comprises a first aperture with a flexible band disposed therethrough;

aligning the removable barrier structure such that the flexible band is in registry with the patient's cervix;

inflating the inflatable balloon to compress the cervical tissue;

wrapping the flexible band around the cervical tissue and tying opposite ends of the flexible band to maintain the cervical tissue in a closed configuration;

deflating the inflatable balloon, disconnecting the removable barrier structure from the distal end portion of the catheter, and removing the catheter from the patient;

performing one or more vaginal cerclage stitches upon the cervical tissue;

cutting the flexible band and removing the flexible band and removable barrier structure from the patient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removable barrier structure comprises opposed first and second arms extending therefrom, each of the first and second arms include a proximal portion that is in registry with the first aperture, wherein the flexible band is configured to extend through the first and second arms on opposite sides of the first aperture.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the removable barrier structure is positioned such that the first and second arms substantially surround the patient's cervix when the removable barrier structure is disposed contacting or proximate to a posterior fornix of the patient's cervix.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising extending the flexible band through the internal volume of each of the first and second arms.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removable barrier structure includes a finger that extends from a base of the removable barrier structure to define a first void between the finger and the base, wherein a first hole extends through both the finger and blindly through a portion of the base;

wherein a hub is fixed to a distal portion of the catheter, the hub comprising an extension that extends from an end surface of the hub to define a second void between the end surface of the hub and the extension, wherein a lumen extends through the catheter and further communicates through a second hole through the hub and the extension;

wherein the removable barrier structure and hub are configured to mate together such that the extension extends within the first void and the finger extends within the second void, and such that the lumen, the second hole, and the first hole are coaxially aligned.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the lumen, the first hole, and the second hole are configured to receive a wire guide therethrough when the removable barrier structure and hub are mated together.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising extending a wire guide withdrawably through the lumen, the first hole, and the second hole when the removable barrier structure and hub are mated together, and

further comprising withdrawing the wire guide from the first and the second hole to separate the hub and removable barrier structure.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the flexible band is configured to continue to be disposed around the patient's cervix when the removable barrier structure is disconnected from the catheter by withdrawing the extension from the first void and withdrawing the finger from the second void.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flexible band includes opposite first and second ends that extend from opposite sides of the first aperture, the first and second ends being configured to be fixed together when the flexible band is disposed around the patient's cervix.