title: Guide wire fracture during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: possible causes and management.
abstract: A 46-year-old woman underwent diagnostic coronary angiography in our institution due to a myocardial ischemia following a dobutamine echo-stress test. The patient showed critical stenosis of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery involving the ostium of a large diagonal branch. The planned treatment of coronary bifurcation by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was direct stenting of the main branch with 'jailed' wire technique to protect the side branch, provisional T stenting of the side branch, and final kissing balloon inflation. After successful stent implantation in the LAD, the 'jailed' wire fractured during withdrawal: the distal part of the fragment was trapped in the side branch, and the proximal one was knotted in the LAD, left main coronary and the aortic bulb. We decided not to retrieve the fragment by snare, and we planned heart surgery to safely retrieve the fragment and bypass the side branch not treated by percutaneous coronary interventions. Angiographic control nine months after surgery showed non in-stent restenosis; patient is alive and event-free at 18 months' clinical follow-up. In conclusion, percutaneous management of particularly complex bifurcational lesions may be associated with procedural risks; accordingly, it is important to consider and be ready for a rescue surgical revascularization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology Unit, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 6, 16132 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Manrico
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balbi
authors.forename: Gian Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bezante
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brunelli
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rollando
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D020878:Device Removal; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome