Comparison of the performance of pigtail catheters with different number of sideholes

The standard 12 sidehole pigtail catheter is compared with pigtail catheters with 6, 8, and 10 sideholes in 40 patient studies. The catheter with fewer sideholes performed as well as the standard catheter with respect to the quality of left ventricular opacification, lack of catheter recoil during angiography, and absence of complications. An in vitro study confirmed that better flushing of the terminal segment beyond the sideholes is achieved with the 6 sidehole catheter compared to the 12 sidehole catheter. It is anticipated that this feature will decrease the risk of thromboembolism associated with the use of the pigtail catheter.