Method for placing a cannula in a bladder

1. A method of enlarging a small surgical pathway through a bladder wall and an abdominal wall to create an enlarged opening and placing a cannula in the enlarged opening, comprising:

extending an elongated placement guide from the exterior of the abdominal wall through the small surgical pathway until a forward end of the placement guide is located within the bladder;

inflating a placement balloon on the forward end of the placement guide within the bladder;

applying pulling tension to the placement guide at the exterior of the abdominal wall to move the inflated placement balloon into contact with the bladder wall and to create a sealing effect from the inflated placement balloon against the bladder wall;

distending the bladder by introducing fluid into the bladder after the sealing effect is created;

enlarging the small surgical pathway into the enlarged opening while maintaining the pulling tension on the placement guide by guiding an obturator along the placement guide and through the abdominal wall and the bladder wall, the obturator having a center passage which slidably receives the placement guide; and

inserting the cannula through the enlarged opening.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

connecting the obturator and the cannula as a unit by inserting an obturator shaft of the obturator through a central channel of a conduit of the cannula;

maintaining alignment of the small surgical pathway through the bladder wall and the abdominal wall with the pulling tension applied to the placement guide; and

guiding the unit-connected obturator and cannula along the placement guide and through the abdominal wall and the bladder wall.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising:

cutting skin on the exterior of the abdominal wall to facilitate moving the unit-connected obturator and cannula through the exterior skin of the abdominal wall.

4. A method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising:

extending the placement guide through a center passage extending along the length of the obturator shaft; and

guiding the unit-connected obturator and cannula along the placement guide with the placement guide extending through the center passage of the obturator.

5. A method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising:

extending at least one blade from a forward end of the obturator while connected to the cannula as the unit to create at least one cut in an internal fascia layer of the abdominal wall when the forward end of the obturator encounters the internal fascia layer.

6. A method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising:

expanding the small surgical pathway into the enlarged opening through the bladder wall by blunt force dilation of the bladder wall with the forward end of the obturator while the inflated placement balloon creates the sealing effect.

7. A method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising:

inflating a stabilization balloon on the forward end of the cannula within the bladder after the cannula extends through the expanded opening; and

contacting the bladder wall adjacent to the expanded opening with the inflated stabilization balloon while the obturator and the cannula are connected as the unit.

8. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the applying pulling tension to the placement guide at the exterior of the abdominal wall to move the inflated placement balloon into contact with the bladder maintains the placement guide in a taut position.

9. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the guiding the obturator through the bladder wall allows the inflated placement balloon to move forward into the bladder as the obturator enters the bladder.

10. A method of enlarging a small surgical pathway through a bladder wall and an abdominal wall to create an enlarged opening and placing a cannula in the enlarged opening, comprising:

extending an elongated placement guide from the exterior of the abdominal wall through the small surgical pathway until a forward end of the placement guide is located within the bladder;

inflating a placement balloon on the forward end of the placement guide within the bladder;

applying pulling tension to the placement guide at the exterior of the abdominal wall to move the inflated placement balloon into contact with the bladder wall and to create a sealing effect from the inflated placement balloon against the bladder wall;

distending the bladder by introducing fluid into the bladder after the sealing effect is created;

connecting an obturator and a cannula as a unit by inserting an obturator shaft of the obturator through a central channel of a conduit of the cannula;

maintaining alignment of the small surgical pathway through the bladder wall and the abdominal wall with the pulling tension applied to the placement guide;

enlarging the small surgical pathway into the enlarged opening while maintaining the pulling tension on the placement guide by guiding an obturator along the placement guide and through the abdominal wall and the bladder wall;

guiding the unit-connected obturator and cannula along the placement guide from the exterior skin of the abdominal wall to an internal fascia layer of the abdominal wall;

extending at least one blade from a forward end of the obturator to create at least one cut in the internal fascia layer of the abdominal wall;

moving the unit-connected obturator and cannula through the internal fascia layer after creating the cut in the internal fascia layer; and

inserting the cannula through the enlarged opening.

11. A method as defined in claim 10 , further comprising:

retracting the blade from the forward end of the obturator after creating the cut in the internal fascia layer; and

enlarging the small surgical pathway into the enlarged opening through the bladder wall by blunt force dilation of the bladder wall with the forward end of the obturator.

12. A method as defined in claim 11 , further comprising: moving the forward ends of the unit-connected obturator and cannula into the bladder through the enlarged opening in the bladder wall while simultaneously allowing the inflated placement balloon to move forward with the forward end of the obturator; expanding a stabilization balloon on the forward end of the cannula within the bladder; and withdrawing the cannula until the expanded stabilization balloon contacts the bladder wall adjacent to the expanded opening.

13. A method as defined in claim 12 , further comprising:

deflating the placement balloon after the stabilization balloon contacts the bladder wall; and

removing the placement guide and the obturator from within the central channel of the conduit of the cannula to provide access through the central channel into the bladder.

14. A method as defined in claim 12 , further comprising:

positioning a retainer on the exterior of the conduit of the cannula in contact with the abdominal wall after the expanded stabilization balloon contacts the bladder wall to maintain and stabilize the cannula within the expanded opening.

15. A method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the applying pulling tension to the placement guide at the exterior of the abdominal wall to move the inflated placement balloon into contact with the bladder maintains the placement guide in a taut position.

16. A method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the guiding the obturator through the bladder wall allows the inflated placement balloon to move forward into the bladder as the obturator enters the bladder.

17. A method of enlarging a small surgical pathway through a bladder wall and an abdominal wall to create an enlarged opening and placing a cannula in the enlarged opening, comprising:

forming the small surgical pathway through the bladder wall and the abdominal wall by extending an advancement member from an end of a sound inserted through the urethra into the bladder;

extending an elongated placement guide from the exterior of the abdominal wall through the small surgical pathway until a forward end of the placement guide is located within the bladder;

inflating a placement balloon on the forward end of the placement guide within the bladder;

applying pulling tension to the placement guide at the exterior of the abdominal wall to move the inflated placement balloon into contact with the bladder wall and to create a sealing effect from the inflated placement balloon against the bladder wall;

distending the bladder by introducing fluid into the bladder after the sealing effect is created;

enlarging the small surgical pathway into the enlarged opening while maintaining the pulling tension on the placement guide; and

inserting the cannula through the enlarged opening.

18. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

extending the placement guide through the small surgical pathway by connecting a forward end of the placement guide to a forward end of the advancement member while the forward end of the advancement member is located at the exterior of the abdominal wall and then withdrawing the advancement member through the small surgical pathway until the placement balloon on the forward end of the placement guide is located within the bladder.

19. A method as defined in claim 18 , further comprising:

locating the placement balloon on the forward end of the placement guide within the bladder by withdrawing the sound and the advancement member and the forward end of the placement guide from the urethra, disconnecting the forward end of the placement guide from the forward end of the advancement member,

withdrawing the placement guide back through the urethra until the placement balloon at the forward end of the placement guide is located within the bladder, and then inflating the placement balloon in the bladder.

20. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the applying pulling tension to the placement guide at the exterior of the abdominal wall to move the inflated placement balloon into contact with the bladder maintains the placement guide in a taut position.