Percutaneous coronary intervention using a virtual 3-Fr guiding catheter.
BACKGROUND
We have recently reported a novel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) system using a hydrophilic-coated sheathless guiding catheter (Virtual 3-Fr, Medikit, Tokyo, Japan), which provides us with less invasive angioplasty and a puncture site injury equivalent to a conventional 3-Fr introducer sheath. Here, we report the initial results of PCI using this novel system.


METHODS
A total of 36 coronary artery lesions of 27 patients were treated by using a virtual 3-Fr PCI system. Procedural outcomes of virtual 3-Fr PCI were retrospectively evaluated.


RESULTS
The mean age was 73.0 +/- 8.7 years (range, 46-84 years), and 15 were men (56%). Access sites included the radial artery in 18 patients (67%), the brachial artery in eight patients (30%), and the femoral artery in 1 patients (4%). Among 36 lesions, seven were chronic total occlusions, and a virtual 3-Fr PCI was successful in 33 lesions (92%). Among the successfully treated 33 lesions, coronary stents were deployed in 32 (97%), and intravascular ultrasound examination was performed in 19 (58%). Hemostasis was achieved immediately after PCIs in all cases. No access-site related complications including radial artery occlusion were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The performance of a virtual 3-Fr PCI system appears to be comparable to one using a regular 5-Fr guiding catheter while the puncture-site damage remains equivalent to that of a 3-Fr introducer sheath. Virtual 3-Fr PCI may have a potential to serve as a minimally invasive strategy for the treatment of coronary artery diseases.
Department of Cardiology and Catheterization Laboratory, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, Kamakura, Japan.
Shingo
S
Mizuno
Satoshi
S
Takeshita
Yoshio
Y
Taketani
Shigeru
S
Saito
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006489:Hemostatic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008904:Miniaturization; D011677:Punctures; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
D003287:Contrast Media