Randomized evaluation of six French voda-type guiding catheters for left coronary artery balloon angioplasty.

In order to evaluate 6 French (6F) Voda-type guiding catheters for left coronary artery balloon angioplasty, we randomized the choice of the guiding catheter in 100 consecutive patients between a Voda (group 1, n = 50) and a Judkins or Amplatz curve (group 2) guiding catheter. Angioplasty success rate (98% for both), need for guiding catheter crossover exchange (2 in group 1 vs. 1 in group 2), fluoroscopy time, and volume of injected contrast were similar in both groups, but the operator's appreciation of good back-up support was better with the Voda-type guiding catheter (90% vs. 74%, P < 0.05). No complications attributed to the guiding catheter were noted in either group. Efficiency of the Voda-type guiding catheter appeared similar for both left anterior descending (n = 35, success rate 100%) and circumflex (n = 18, success rate 94%) coronary artery angioplasty. Voda-type guiding catheters are an efficient and safe approach to routine left coronary angioplasty. They appear to be as effective as a choice between a Judkins or an Amplatz configuration and could be of particular use when a double angioplasty of the left anterior descending and circumflex arteries is attempted during the same procedure.