Abstract: A balloon catheter assembly including an elongate catheter tube including a lumen having a first cross sectional area, a wire extending through the lumen, and an inflatable balloon mountably associated with the tube and the wire, the tube being formed with a plurality of balloon inflation apertures communicating with the lumen, the apertures having a total aperture cross sectional area which exceeds the first cross sectional area and including at least two apertures being arranged at different azimuthal locations along the tube underlying the balloon and the balloon being characterized by an inflated state having a ratio of maximum inflated diameter to length of more than 0.4 and a corresponding deflated state wherein at least a first portion of the balloon is capable of being twisted relative to at least a second portion thereof, resulting in at least partial blockage of at least one but not all of the apertures.