Experience with a 6 French double loop catheter for right coronary angiography

A 6Fr double loop diagnostic catheter was developed for angiography of the right coronary artery and tested in 101 patients. Its primary use was employed in 60 patients, and after failure of a 6Fr right Judkins diagnostic catheter in 41 patients. Primary use was successful in 56 out of 60 patients (93%); four failures were cannulated with 6Fr right Judkins diagnostic catheters. After failure of 6Fr right Judkins diagnostic catheters, 36 out of 41 patients (88%) were successfully cannulated with 6Fr double loop diagnostic catheters. Causes of failure of 6Fr right Judkins diagnostic catheters were: inadequate torque control in 24 patients, because of tortuosity of femoro iliac arteries or aorta; dilatation of the ascending aorta, abnormal origin or course of the initial segment of the right coronary artery in 17 patients. Three out of five patients in whom right Judkins diagnostic and double loop diagnostic catheters failed to intubate the right coronary artery were successfully cannulated with 7Fr diagnostic catheters (right Judkins one patient; El Gamal one patient; right coronary bypass one patient). CONCLUSION. 6Fr double loop diagnostic catheters increased the success rate of right coronary angiography after failure of 6Fr right Judkins diagnostic catheters.