Histologic comparison of vibrating guidewire with conventional guidewire technique in an experimental coronary in vivo model.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the damage caused by vibrating guidewire manipulation and conventional guidewire manipulation of soft coronary wires in normal sheep coronary arteries.


METHODS
Using an intact sheep model the two methods of passing a coronary guidewire down a normal coronary artery under fluoroscopic screening control were studied. The resulting arterial damage caused by the two techniques was studied histologically. The severity of damage was scored from 1 (no damage) to 4 (severe damage) and expressed as: (a) percentage of damaged sections, (b) mean damage score per section and (c) percentage of sections suffering the most severe degree of damage (scores 3 and 4).


RESULTS
One hundred and sixty-eight sections were studied. The percentage of damaged sections was lower in the vibrating guidewire group (p = 0.004). The mean damage score and the percentage of sections with a damage score of 3 or 4 were smaller in the vibrating guidewire group than in the conventional guidewire manipulation group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Both methods of guidewire manipulation cause identifiable vascular damage. The extent and severity of damage appear greater when the guidewire is manipulated manually.
Katsouras
Christos S
CS
Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, GR 451 10 Ioannina, Greece.
Michalis
Lampros K
LK
Malamou-Mitsi
Vassiliki D
VD
Niokou
Demetra
D
Giogiakas
Vassilios
V
Nikas
Dimitrios
D
Massouras
Gerasimos
G
Dallas
Pavlos
P
Tsetis
Dimitrios K
DK
Sideris
Dimitris A
DA
Rees
Michael R
MR
D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D012756:Sheep; D014732:Vibration