Use of a molding balloon to facilitate introduction of guiding catheters in fenestrated stent-graft procedures.
OBJECTIVE
To present a technique that addresses the problem of passing guiding catheters through a stent-graft fenestration and into the target orifice over the wire within the visceral vessel when the fenestration is remote from the top cap.


METHODS
A compliant molding balloon is introduced into the main body of the stent-graft and inflated above the fenestration to fill the redundant space in the proximal stent-graft to prevent upward angulation and subsequent displacement of the wire from the target vessel when a less flexible catheter is passed.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique is useful in cases with tortuous and complex anatomy and may reduce overall procedure times.
Bicknell
Colin
C
Regional Vascular Unit, St. Mary's Hospital, London, UK. colin.bicknell@imperial.ac.uk
Riga
Celia
C
Mireskandari
Maziar
M
Haulon
Stephan
S
Hamady
Mohamad
M
Jenkins
Michael
M
D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D015607:Stents