A catheter atherotome for use in interventional cardiology in an artery having a distal end and a proximal end, a. a plurality of blades mounted at the distal end of the catheter in a winged configuration and spaced angularly apart from one another about a main longitudinal shaft with a central longitudinal core disposed within the said shaft, with associated struts connecting one end of each blade to the shaft and the other end to the core in such a way that longitudinal movement of the central core along the shaft in first direction selectively pulls out blades radially outwardly around the shaft into a cutting position and selectively pushes the blades radially inwardly flat into alongwith the main shaft during the longitudinal movement of the core along the shaft in second direction, which second direction is opposite to first direction.
