An entrapped or retained coronary angioplasty guidewire is a rare but serious complication of coronary interventions. A failed percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty attempt on the left anterior descending artery in a 35-year-old man was complicated by entrapment of the guidewire. Under cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest, the whole length of the entrapped guidewire was retrieved successfully from the left anterior descending artery and the aorta through an aortotomy following revascularization with left internal mammary artery.
Arce-GonzalezJMSchwartzLGanassinLHendersonMAldridgeH. Complications associated with the guide wire in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. J Am Coll Cardiol1987; 10: 218–221.
3.
MoussaIDi MarioCReimersBAkiyamaTTobisJColomboA. Subacute stent thrombosis in the era of intravascular ultrasound-guided coronary stenting without anticoagulation: frequency, predictors and clinical outcome. J Am Coll Cardiol1997; 29: 6–12.
4.
SteffeninoGMeierBFinciL. Acute complications of elective coronary angioplasty: a review of 500 consecutive procedures. Br Heart J1988; 59: 151–158.
5.
LotanCHasinYStoneDMeyersSApplebaumAGotsmanMS. Guide wire entrapment during PTCA: a potentially dangerous complication. Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn1987; 13: 309–312.
6.
ColomboASkinnerJM. Balloon entrapment in a coronary artery: potential serious complications of balloon rupture. Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn1990; 19: 23–25.
7.
LinTHChiuCCChenHM. An avoidable complication of percutaneous coronary intervention-entrapment of stent and disconnected balloon catheter. Kaohsiung J Med Sci2006; 22: 184–188.
