Abstract: A surgical catheter is disclosed, comprising a distal end for advancing into a blood vessel at a single incision remote from occlusions, a proximal end for manipulating the catheter ex vivo, a body portion connecting the two ends, and means adjacent the distal end for cutting away such occlusions while the distal end is far removed from the incision, the cutting means including at least a movable cutting edge. The catheter is improved in that the movable cutting edge is disposed so that it faces rearwardly, towards the body portion. Further there is included means for moving the cutting edge rearwardly to cut tissue or fatty deposits towards the catheter body portion and the remote incision.Such a catheter is used in a surgical method such that the cutting means is activated to cut the fatty deposits only in a rearward direction towards the incision, instead of in an advancing direction.