Medical devices for use along the biliary and/or pancreatic tract

1. A method of draining fluid along a pancreatic and/or bile duct, the method comprising:

inserting a stent within a patient, the stent including a tubular member having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a lumen extending through the tubular member from the first end to the second end, wherein the tubular member is formed of one or more wire filaments that are woven together; wherein the tubular member includes a longitudinal channel formed in the outer surface by displacing the one or more wire filaments radially inward;

disposing the stent within the patient such that the tubular member extends into the pancreatic and/or bile duct of the patient; and

draining fluid along the longitudinal channel between the outer surface of the stent and a luminal surface of the pancreatic and/or or bile duct of the patient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubular member includes a longitudinal ridge formed in the inner surface by the displacement of the one or more wire filaments radially inward to form the longitudinal channel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubular member includes a cylindrical region and a flared region adjacent to the cylindrical region, wherein the cylindrical region extends to the second end of the tubular member and the flared region extends to the first end of the tubular member.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the longitudinal channel only extends along the cylindrical region of the tubular member such that the flared region is devoid of the longitudinal channel.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

positioning the flared region in a duodenum.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

positioning the stent across a side branch of the pancreatic and/or bile duct such that the first end is proximal of the side branch and the distal end is distal of the side branch.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

draining fluid from the side branch along the longitudinal channel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubular member has a length measured from the first end to the second end, and wherein the longitudinal channel extends along a majority of the length of the tubular member.

9. A method of draining fluid along a biliary and/or pancreatic tract, the method comprising:

inserting a stent within a patient, the stent having a first end and a second end, the stent including a braided tubular structure having an outer surface with a longitudinal channel formed therein;

disposing the stent within the patient such that the first end is disposed within a duodenum of the patient and the second end extends into the biliary and/or pancreatic tract of the patient; and

draining fluid along the longitudinal channel between an exterior of the stent and a luminal surface of the biliary and/or pancreatic tract of the patient.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

positioning the stent across a side branch of a pancreatic and/or bile duct such that the first end is proximal of the side branch and the distal end is distal of the side branch.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

draining fluid from the side branch along the longitudinal channel.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the stent has a length measured from the first end to the second end, and wherein the longitudinal channel extends along a majority of the length of the stent.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the stent includes a cylindrical region and a flared region adjacent to the cylindrical region, wherein the cylindrical region extends to the second end of the stent and the flared region extends to the first end of the stent.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the longitudinal channel only extends along the cylindrical region of the stent such that the flared region is devoid of the longitudinal channel.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

wherein the disposing step includes positioning the flared region in the duodenum.

16. A method of draining fluid along a pancreatic and/or bile duct, the method comprising:

inserting a stent within a patient, the stent including a first end, a second end opposite the first end, an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a lumen extending through the stent from the first end to the second end, wherein the stent includes a braided tubular member formed of a plurality of wire filaments that are woven together; wherein the stent includes a plurality of longitudinal channels formed in the outer surface by displacing the plurality of filaments radially inward;

disposing the stent within the patient such that the braided tubular member extends into the pancreatic and/or bile duct of the patient; and

draining fluid along one or more of the longitudinal channels between the outer surface of the stent and a luminal surface of the pancreatic and/or or bile duct of the patient.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

positioning the stent across a side branch of the pancreatic and/or bile duct such that the first end is proximal of the side branch and the distal end is distal of the side branch.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

draining fluid from the side branch along one or more of the longitudinal channels.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the braided tubular member has a length measured from the first end to the second end, and wherein the plurality of longitudinal channels extend along a majority of the length of the braided tubular member.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the stent further comprises a covering disposed on the braided tubular member.