Intraoperative coronary artery balloon-catheter dilatation

A new transluminal angioplasty catheter based on linear extrusion of the dilating element has been specifically designed and developed for the cardiac surgeon. This catheter facilitates placement of the dilating balloon within the arterial narrowing without the routine use of fluoroscopy in the operating room. Physical measurements of the frictional forces exerted on the inner arterial surfaces by three different angioplasty catheter designs during advancement show that the linear extrusion catheter consistently minimizes these forces. The linear extrusion catheters have now been used in over 64 coronary adjunctive intraoperative dilatations. The results of these clinical studies and our research data indicate that the linear extrusion balloon catheter is a safe and effective adjunct to primary coronary artery bypass procedures.