Percutaneous coronary intervention using a virtual 3-Fr guiding catheter.

BACKGROUND

We have recently reported a novel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) system using a hydrophilic-coated sheathless guiding catheter (Virtual 3-Fr, Medikit, Tokyo, Japan), which provides us with less invasive angioplasty and a puncture site injury equivalent to a conventional 3-Fr introducer sheath. Here, we report the initial results of PCI using this novel system.

METHODS

A total of 36 coronary artery lesions of 27 patients were treated by using a virtual 3-Fr PCI system. Procedural outcomes of virtual 3-Fr PCI were retrospectively evaluated.

RESULTS

The mean age was 73.0 +/- 8.7 years (range, 46-84 years), and 15 were men (56%). Access sites included the radial artery in 18 patients (67%), the brachial artery in eight patients (30%), and the femoral artery in 1 patients (4%). Among 36 lesions, seven were chronic total occlusions, and a virtual 3-Fr PCI was successful in 33 lesions (92%). Among the successfully treated 33 lesions, coronary stents were deployed in 32 (97%), and intravascular ultrasound examination was performed in 19 (58%). Hemostasis was achieved immediately after PCIs in all cases. No access-site related complications including radial artery occlusion were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The performance of a virtual 3-Fr PCI system appears to be comparable to one using a regular 5-Fr guiding catheter while the puncture-site damage remains equivalent to that of a 3-Fr introducer sheath. Virtual 3-Fr PCI may have a potential to serve as a minimally invasive strategy for the treatment of coronary artery diseases.