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Case Title

An approach to an extremely tortuous RCA distal lesion

Case History

  1. Tortuous arteries require good coaxial guide support. Coaxiallity should be checked in to diagonally opposite views. eg. RAO, LAO views.
  2. The guide wire should be soft enough to negotiate the curves and firm enough to provide the support and straighten up the tortuous curves. eg. Hydrophilic wires (choice pt extra support TM-Boston scientific)
  3. The balloon should have characteristic of smooth movement over the wire and good pushability.
Investigation Reports

Click on the thumbnail images to see the videos

This right coronary has a down going course immediately followed by an acute curve. Proximal curve is noticed by overlapping of the vessel portion as depicted by the dark shadow. This is followed by critical narrowing in its mid-segment. About 2cms from the distal end of the lesion right coronary makes an omega curve and there is another critical lesion at the bifurcation of PDA and PLB.

Notice an acute sharp omega bend in the mid-segment of RCA.

6f Judkins right 4cms curve guide catheter is positioned coaxially into the proximal right coronary artery. Choice pt extra support wire has passed through the first acute bend.

Notice how smoothly the wire is negotiating the omega bend.

Note that after crossing the omega bend wire is shown to be progressing towards the straighter portion of the RCA and is heading towards the lesion. After meeting some resistance the guide catheter backs out.

RAO view is interesting. It shows frighteningly ugly spasm like appearance but really speaking these are all pseudo lesions and they generally do not produce any symptoms. These kinds of pseudo lesions are quite common when a stiff wire like choice pt goes through a tortuous artery.

Note that the wire has straightened out all the tortuosities 2.5mm/ 12mm maverick balloon could be easily passed to the distal lesions.

2.5 mm non drug-eluting stent 13 mm in length is shown here going quite smoothly over the wire negotiating all the tortuosities.

Shows good dilatation of the distal lesion at the point of bifurcation of PDA and PLB. There is a slight pinching of the PLB branch. Subsequently straightforward proximal lesion was reassessed after nitroglycerine and did not show clinical stenosis. On removal of the wire from the right coronary. Please note all the pseudo lesions have disappointed.


Moral of the story
  1. While dealing with proximal tortuosities, hardware selection is very critical.
  2. Manipulation should be gentle and tactful.
  3. Emphasis should be on deliverability of the stent, and not uncommonly, stent with significant thinness of the struts and high degree of flexibility are often the stents of choice.


Other Cases

Total coronary revascularisation   Aug 21, 2004

Coronary angiography on a non-diabetic patient with chronic stable angina  Jul 22, 2004

Complex LAD lesions  Jul 9, 2004

Encountering multiple ragged occlusive plaque  Jun 21, 2004

Distal lesion in a markedly tortuous vessel-"a challenge".  May 19, 2004

Vein graft stenosis-the current trends.  May 03, 2004

Optimal measures for LIMA Interventions.  Apr 24, 2004

An Approach to Bifurcation Lesion  Apr 10, 2004

Negotiating the odds in complicated lesions  Mar 18, 2004

Focal stenting in a complicated LAD lesion  Mar 4, 2004

An approach to an extremely tortuous RCA distal lesion  Feb 11, 2004

Nightmare in Cathlab  Jan 6, 2004

An approach to markedly tortuous lesion.  Dec 24, 2003

Angioplasty standby for failed bypass surgery.  Dec 2, 2003

Treatment of instent restenosis.   Nov 15, 2003

Veingraft angioplasty with protection device.  Nov 1, 2003

Complex angioplasty in tortuous vessels.  Oct 16, 2003

Angioplasty & Stenting in tortuous vessels.   Oct 1, 2003

60 yr. Old man with a History of Multiple Coronary Grafts  Sep 15, 2003


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Courtesy

Dr. A.B. Mehta
Director Of Cardiology,
Jaslok Hospital,
Mumbai, India.

Website: http://www.drabmehta.com
Email: drabmehta@cardiovalens.com



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