INTERLOCKING DETACHABLE PLATINUM COILS, A CONTROLLED EMBOLIZATION DEVICE - EARLY CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE

Purpose: To present the early clinical experience of a new mechanicall y controlled-release embolization device-the interlocking detachable c oil (IDC)-in complex embolization outside the head. Methods: IDCs were used only when conventional embolization techniques were considered t oo risky or unsafe, The coils consist of unfibered coiled platinum (0. 012 inch), mechanically connected to a pusher wire and deployed throug h a Tracker 18 catheter. IDCs come in a range of diameters (2-8 mm) an d lengths (1-30 cm). Results: A total of 87 IDCs were used for 27 proc edures in 25 patients (mean 14.5 years) to occlude 31 arteries or vasc ular lesions. Control of the coil and its release were satisfactory an d all coils were fully retrievable up to the point of deployment. Two IDC coils embolized inadvertently but were retrieved; there were no ot her complications, The IDC coils could not be satisfactorily placed in one high-flow arteriovenous (AV) fistula, and in another case there w as a small residual fistula. Occlusion was produced in 29 of 31 lesion s. Ancillary techniques were needed in 5 patients: temporary balloon o cclusion in 2 and 0.038-inch coils in 3. Conclusion: The IDC coil is a n effective device that allows controlled embolization to be performed , especially in aneurysms and in high-flow AV fistulas in children.