title: A "grapple hook" technique using a deflectable tip catheter to facilitate complex proximal circumflex interventions.
abstract: We present two patients with angulated, proximal left circumflex lesions, one a chronic total occlusion and one an acute subtotal occlusion. In both cases, use of the deflectable tip Venture Catheter (Velocimed, Minneapolis, MN) facilitated guide wire passage and successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after prior attempts at guide wire passage with standard wires were unsuccessful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, San Francisco VA Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, USA. Edward.mcnulty2@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Kendrick
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shunk
mesh_terms: D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002404:Catheterization; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*