A method is disclosed for treating benign conditions, such as enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids located in a patient's throat or nasopharynx, or soft tissue lesions located in a patient's oropharynx or larynx. According to the method, a space containing the patient's nasopharynx, oropharynx or pharynx and larynx is isolated from the patient's trachea and lungs using an inflatable cuff tracheostomy tube or nasotracheal tube inserted in the patient's trachea. The cuff is inflated to occlude the trachea. The patient is placed in a supine position, whereupon at least a portion of the space containing the nasopharynx and/or oropharynx and larynx is filled with saline. An endoscope is then inserted into the space to view the operative site in which the tonsils or tissue lesion are to be treated. An electrosurgical instrument having an active tissue treatment electrode and a return electrode connected to an electrosurgical generator is then inserted into the space, either along side the endoscope or through the endoscope's working channel. The generator is then operated to apply a radio frequency voltage between the active and return electrodes of the electrosurgical instrument, whereby a conduction path is formed between the active and return electrodes, at least partially through the saline, whereupon the active electrode is manipulated to debulk or otherwise treat the soft tissue lesion or enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/406,603, filed Apr. 4, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/036,500, filed Jan. 7, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/024,348, filed Dec. 21, 2001, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/484,225, filed Jan. 18, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,926, issued Jan. 8, 2002, the entire contents of such applications and patent being incorporated by reference in this application.
A medical device is provided which comprises a catheter tube having a distal end and a lumen, and configured to assist in applying tamponage to a bleeding source in a gastrointestinal tract when flexed. A catheter tip having a catheter tip outer surface is assembled with the tube adjacent the distal end of the tube. The catheter tip comprises a probe body comprising an electrically insulative material, at least one electrode pair located on the probe body which comprises a first electrode spaced from a second electrode, and a fluid distribution manifold to direct a fluid from inside the probe body towards the tip outer surface. The manifold comprises a central passage within the probe body and a plurality of lateral passages which extend from the central passage towards the tip outer surface. An extendable injection needle is housed within the central passage to provide treatment to tissue.
