Abrupt Pressure Delivery: A Novel Technique to Retrieve a Ruptured Entrapped Stent Balloon

Samir B Pancholy1, Sanjay Shah2, Aman T Patel2

  • 1The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA.

JACC. Case Reports
|July 4, 2025
PubMed

Insights

A novel technique successfully managed a ruptured stent balloon during acute coronary syndrome intervention. This method, using conventional hardware, facilitated stent retrieval and successful treatment, improving patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

  • Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) management involves complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
  • Severe calcified coronary stenoses pose challenges during PCI, increasing complication risks like stent balloon rupture.

Observation:

  • During PCI for severe calcified lesions in the left circumflex artery, a stent balloon ruptured.
  • The ruptured balloon became entrapped, causing stent deformation, and conventional removal techniques failed.

Findings:

  • A novel technique applying abrupt pressure successfully disengaged the ruptured balloon from the deformed stent.
  • The deformed stent was subsequently expanded and successfully treated with restenting.

Implications:

  • This case presents a simple, effective bailout strategy for stent balloon rupture during PCI using conventional hardware.
  • The described technique may enhance procedural success rates in challenging coronary interventions.