Use of a guide catheter as a temporary stent during microcatheter intervention.

ABSTRACT

Placement of a guiding catheter through a tortuous, narrowed, or intrinsically small vessel may result in severe reduction or occlusion of blood flow. However, nonbraided guiding catheters can be simply modified with a catheter hole punch to create a temporary stent. The stent reestablishes blood flow, which is routed through the distal segment of the guiding catheter while maintaining the guide platform for the introduction of microcatheters and devices necessary to perform intervention.