Experience with a double loop guiding catheter for angioplasty of the right coronary artery.
An 8 French (F) double loop guiding (DLG) catheter was developed for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of the right coronary artery (RCA) and tested in 80 patients: primary use in 59 patients, and after failure of an 8 F right Judkins guiding (RJG) catheter in 21 patients. Primary use resulted in stable intubation of RCA in 55 patients (93%), but PTCA was successful in 50 (91%). Five failures resulted from inability to cross or dilate the lesion. After failure of an 8 F RJG in 21 patients, successful stable intubation of RCA with a DLG was achieved in 19 patients (90%), but PTCA was successful in 17 patients (81%). Failure of RJGs in 21 patients resulted from inability to intubate the RCA in 12 patients, or inadequate back up support by the guiding in 9 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
DLGs increased the success rate of PTCA of the RCA after failure of RJGs.
el Gamal
M
M
Department of Cardiology, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Bracke
F
F
Bonnier
J
J
el Biltagiu
S
S
Michels
R
R
Relik
T
T
van Gelder
L
L
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D017211:Treatment Failure