Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
Myocardial Infarction by Percutaneous Embolization Coil Deployment in a Swine Model
Published on: November 4, 2021
Coil embolization of a coronary artery to left ventricular fistula using detachable coils
E Rodney Reeves1, Babak S Jahromi, Frederick S Ling
1Department of Cardiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642-8679, USA. rodneyreeves@me.com
Insights
Coronary artery fistulas, rare congenital heart defects, can now be successfully treated percutaneously. This study details the coil embolization of a complex combined fistula draining into the left ventricle.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
Background:
- Coronary artery fistulas are uncommon congenital abnormalities.
- They can be found in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.
- Previous percutaneous treatments have been reported in case series.
Observation:
- The study details a case of a symptomatic patient with a combined fistula.
- This involved the distal left anterior descending artery and distal right coronary artery.
- The fistulas merged, creating a single drainage pathway into the left ventricle.
Findings:
- Successful percutaneous coil embolization was achieved.
- Electrically detachable coils were utilized for the embolization procedure.
- This represents a successful minimally invasive treatment for complex coronary artery fistulas.
Implications:
- Percutaneous coil embolization is a viable treatment for complex coronary artery fistulas.
- This approach offers a minimally invasive alternative to surgical intervention.
- Further research into percutaneous techniques for coronary artery fistulas is warranted.
Abstract:
Coronary artery fistulas are rare congenital anomalies noted during coronary angiography of both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Percutaneous treatment options have been described previously in case series of varying size. We present the successful percutaneous coil embolization using electrically detachable coils of a symptomatic combined distal left anterior descending artery fistula and distal right coronary artery fistula that join to form a single drainage into the left ventricle.
