title: Balloon angioplasty for complete obstruction of inferior vena cava: needle puncture followed by balloon dilatation.
abstract: We report herein 2 cases with complete obstruction of the suprahepatic portion of the inferior vena cava successfully treated by balloon angioplasty after crossing the obstructing segment with the stiff end of the guidewire in 1 case and the Brockenbrough's trans-septal needle in the other. The gradients across the obstruction fell from 13 and 20 mm Hg to 3 and 4 mm Hg, respectively. Angioplasty resulted in dramatic clinical hemodynamic and angiographic improvement.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dev
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kaul
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sahni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D004867:Equipment Design; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006504:Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging