title: Balloon-assisted techniques for advancing long sheaths through difficult anatomy.
abstract: We describe two balloon-assisted techniques to facilitate the advancement of large, long sheaths through freshly placed stents or tortuous anatomy. The first technique uses a balloon inflated while partially housed within the sheath to help clear an edge, thus offering resistance. The second uses an angioplasty balloon inflated in a distal pulmonary artery branch to better anchor the wire while advancing the sheath through a tortuous path. The techniques are illustrated by the cases of four patients, including two undergoing Melody valve (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) implantation.
authors: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, M4-37A, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, 9500 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors: Lourdes R
authors: LR
authors: Prieto
authors: Christopher A
authors: CA
authors: Bellotti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome