EMERGENCY PLACEMENT OF PLATINUM COILS TO PREVENT CARDIAC-TAMPONADE AFTER WIRE PERFORATION OF AN OCCLUDED VENOUS CORONARY-BYPASS GRAFT

A case is reported of a patient with impending cardiac tamponade due t o vessel perforation following balloon angioplasty of an occluded veno us bypass graft. Prolonged balloon inflation failed to seal the perfor ation. Leakage was controlled immediately by the delivery of two plati num coils into the perforation. In case of a vessel perforation during an attempt to recanalize an occluded coronary artery bypass, placemen t of intracoronary platinum coils to seal the perforation may prevent the development of cardiac tamponade.