USE OF LARGE-CALIBER CORONARY GUIDING CATHETERS FOR NEUROINTERVENTIONAL APPLICATIONS

The use of certain large-caliber (ie, 7F to 9F) coronary guiding cathe ters for selected neuroendovascular procedures is described in the con text of surveying recently developed neurovascular guiding catheters. These large-caliber guiding catheters have proved useful in situations requiring proximal access to tortuous brachiocephalic arteries, permi tting coaxial delivery of relatively large neurointerventional devices , such as most detachable balloons and 5F percutaneous transluminal an gioplasty catheters. These large-caliber coronary guiding catheters ha ve some important advantages over both old and new neurovascular guidi ng catheters, including favorably preshaped configurations and superio r torque control. These features permit relatively easy direct selecti ve catheterization of unfavorable vascular anatomy resulting from doli choectasia of the aortic arch and great vessels.