Apparatus and methods for treating congestive heart disease

A method for enhancing renal function in a body of a patient, comprising:

• inserting a catheter having a drug delivery lumen through an iliac artery and into an abdominal aorta, the catheter comprising a discharge port in fluid communication with the drug delivery lumen;
• positioning an expandable member in the abdominal aorta, below a plurality of renal arteries;
• expanding the expandable member so as to inhibit blood from flowing between the expandable member and a wall of the abdominal aorta while allowing blood to flow from an aorta into the plurality of renal arteries and while supplying blood to the lower extremities via a blood pass through lumen;
• delivering a volume of fluid agent through the drug delivery lumen and out of the discharge port to a location in the abdominal aorta above the expandable member, adjacent to the plurality of renal arteries;
• wherein the volume of fluid agent being delivered is adapted to enhance renal function.

A method for enhancing renal function in a body of a patient, comprising:

• inserting an elongated catheter shaft through an iliac artery and into an abdominal aorta, the elongated catheter shaft comprising a first end portion disposed toward a proximal end of the shaft, a second end portion disposed toward a distal end of the shaft, an inflation lumen, a drug delivery lumen, a blood pass through lumen, and an expandable member, wherein the second end portion comprises a discharge port in fluid communication with the drug delivery lumen, the expandable member is in fluid communication with the inflation lumen, and the blood pass through lumen comprises an inlet port disposed distal to the expandable member and an outlet port disposed proximal to the expandable member;
• positioning the expandable member in the abdominal aorta, below a plurality of renal arteries;
• delivering an inflation fluid from an inflation source through the inflation lumen to the expandable member, thereby expanding the expandable member so as to inhibit blood from flowing across a junction formed by the expandable member and the abdominal aorta, while allowing blood to flow from an aorta into the plurality of renal arteries, and while allowing blood to flow into the inlet port through the blood pass through lumen and out of the outlet port;
• delivering an amount of a drug from a drug delivery source through the drug delivery lumen and out of the discharge port to a location in the abdominal aorta above the expandable member, adjacent to the plurality of renal arteries;
• wherein the volume of fluid agent being delivered is adapted to enhance renal function.