Percutaneous coronary angioplasty of large venous graft using peripheral dilatation catheter

The maximum inflated diameters of standard percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) balloon catheters can be insufficient if stenoses in oversized venous grafts are to be dilated. As an alternative to the recently described "hugging balloon" technique, it seems feasible to use a standard peripheral angioplasty (PTA) catheter with a balloon diameter that is matching to the vessel. Such a procedure calls for a free long-wire exchange and may be hampered by the stiffness of a PTA catheter. We report a case where this technique, used in an emergency procedure, resulted in a satisfactory angiographic result without causing complications.