Cutting Balloon Blade Fracture in Severe Calcified Lesions During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Dai Kawauchi1, Kei Yunoki1, Tomohiro Yoshino1
1Department of Cardiology, Tsuyama Chuo Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
Insights
Cutting balloon (CB) blade fracture during percutaneous coronary intervention is rare. Lesion characteristics and repeated dilations may precipitate this complication, requiring interventionalist awareness.
Area of Science:
- Interventional Cardiology
- Medical Device Complications
Background:
- Cutting balloon (CB) use is associated with rare but serious complications like blade fracture.
- Understanding factors precipitating CB blade fracture remains limited.
Observation:
- Three cases of CB blade fracture during percutaneous coronary intervention are presented.
- Fracture occurred during dilation of calcified lesions, with repeated low- to high-pressure dilations or balloon entrapment noted.
- Despite fracture, no severe coronary dissections or perforations were observed.
Findings:
- CB blade fracture can be linked to high-pressure dilation of calcified lesions.
- Repeated balloon dilations and specific lesion properties (circumferential, eccentric calcification) may contribute to fracture.
- The dog-bone balloon shape was observed in cases involving repeated dilations.
Implications:
- Interventional cardiologists must recognize the risk of CB blade fracture with calcified lesions.
- Careful consideration of lesion characteristics and dilation strategy is crucial when using cutting balloons.
- Awareness of this complication can guide preventative measures during percutaneous coronary intervention.
Background:
Cutting balloon (CB) blade fracture is a rare but potentially serious complication that may cause coronary dissection, rupture, or stent extraction. Our understanding of which lesions, procedures, and maneuvers precipitate blade fracture is limited.
Case Summary:
We report 3 cases of CB blade fracture during percutaneous coronary intervention. In cases 1 and 2, repeated low- to high-pressure stepwise dilations of short circumferential calcified lesions resulted in dog-bone balloon shape and eventual CB blade fracture. In case 3, dilation of an eccentric calcified lesion up to nominal pressure resulted in the balloon stuck and CB blade fracture. All 3 cases had no complications such as severe coronary dissection or perforation.
Discussion:
Our cases suggest that, not only high-pressure dilation of the CB to calcified lesions, but also repeated dilation or lesion properties may contribute to CB blade fracture. Interventionalists should be aware of this event when using CB for calcified lesions.
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