The present invention comprises apparatus and methods for maintaining
patency in body passages subject to occlusion by invasive tissue growth.
The apparatus and methods of the present invention may be used to open
and maintain patency in virtually any hollow body passage which may be
subject to occlusion by invasive cellular growth or invasive solid tumor
growth. Suitable hollow body passages include ducts, orifices, lumens,
and the like, with exemplary body passages including the coronary
arteries. The present invention is particularly useful for reducing or
eliminating the effects of restenosis in coronary arteries by selectively
removing tissue ingrowth in or around stents anchored therein.