RANDOMIZED EVALUATION OF 6 FRENCH VODA-TYPE GUIDING CATHETERS FOR LEFT CORONARY-ARTERY BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY

In order to evaluate 6 French (6F) Voda-type guiding catheters for lef t coronary artery balloon angioplasty, we randomized the choice of the guiding catheter in 100 consecutive patients between a Voda (group 1, n = 50) and a Judkins or Amplatz curve (group 2) guiding catheter. An gioplasty success rate (98% for both), need for guiding catheter cross over exchange (2 in group 1 vs. 1 in group 2), fluoroscopy time, and v olume of injected contrast were similar in both groups, but the operat or's appreciation of good backup support was better with the Voda-type guiding catheter (90% vs. 74%, P < 0.05). No complications attributed to the guiding catheter were noted in either group. Efficiency of the Voda-type guiding catheter appeared similar for both left anterior de scending(n = 35, success rate 100%) and circumflex (n = 18, success ra te 94%) coronary artery angioplasty. Voda-type guiding catheters are a n efficient and safe approach to routine left coronary angioplasty. Th ey appear to be as effective as a choice bewtween a Judkins or an Ampl atz configuration and could be of particular use when a double angiopl asty of the left anterior descending and circumflex arteries is attemp ted during the same procedure. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.