Double-balloon Trapping for Coil Embolization of Ruptured Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm: A Novel Technique

Endovascular treatment of complex ruptured aneurysms in the internal carotid (IC) artery is extremely challenging. Navigation of double-balloon catheters becomes all the more difficult in tortuous vessels.

A 57-year-old female with more than three times previously ruptured left IC artery aneurysm with subarachnoid hemorrhage had a left IC small aneurysm with a neck of 3.2 mm. Proximal and distal balloons were inflated in left IC artery in respect to the aneurysm, to prevent further rupture during navigation of the microcatheter and first coil.

The technique uses two balloons placed proximal and distal to the ruptured aneurysm, to reduce further bleeding, just as the application of temporary clips, followed by inertion of coils rapidly to obliterate the aneurysm.

It is a novel technique of double-balloon trapping of proximal and distal segment of IC artery with aneurysm coiling technique as an alternative to balloon-assisted coiling and stent-assisted coiling in patients with ruptured aneurysm.