balloon catheter

noun

: a catheter with an inflatable tip which can be expanded (as by air or water) especially to hold the catheter in place or to expand a partly closed or obstructed bodily passage, opening, or vessel (such as a coronary artery)

called also balloon-tipped catheter

see balloon angioplasty

Examples of balloon catheter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The star had previously had a balloon catheter inserted into one of his arteries in 1990 after being hospitalized with chest pains. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of balloon catheter was in 1883

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Cite this Entry

“Balloon catheter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balloon%20catheter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

balloon catheter

noun
variants also balloon-tipped catheter
: a catheter with an inflatable tip which can be expanded (as by air or water) especially to hold the catheter in place or to expand a partly closed or obstructed bodily passage, opening, or vessel (as a coronary artery) see balloon angioplasty, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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