Deep Intubation of 6 French Guiding Catheters for Transradial Coronary Interventions

Deep intubation of coronary guides may improve the backup support required to deliver interventional materials through 6 French catheters. Eighteen patients (17 male, 1 female) with 20 lesions were selected for transradial angioplasty and stenting using the Cordis Long Brite Tip¨ guide. Patients with an evolving acute myocardial infarction and those with an abnormal Allen test were excluded. All patients were pretreated with aspirin, ticlopidine, and heparin. The mean age was 55 (range 34Ð81). The target vessel was the right coronary in 6 of 20 (30%), the circumflex artery in 6 of 20 (30%), left anterior descending in 4 of 20 (20%), vein grafts in 3 of 20 (15%), and ramus intermedius in one case (5%). Seventeen lesions were treated with stents, and 3 with PTCA alone. Three lesions received 2 stents. Procedural success (less than 20% residual stenosis) was obtained in 19/20 cases. No dissections were seen as a result of deep intubation. Dampening of pressure and ischemia occurred in only 2 patients. Deep intubation with this guide may be safely used to obtain support when performing 6 French angioplasty and stenting using the transradial approach.