INITIAL EXPERIENCE WITH AN EXTENDIBLE AND REUSABLE PROBE BALLOON-ON-A-WIRE DILATION CATHETER IN MULTIVESSEL CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY

The ''probe'' balloon-on-a-wire device is an excellent balloon cathete r for traversing very tight stenoses. Extending the probe by transecti ng its proximal inflation hub and then linking it to an extension wire has further enhanced its utility, as a wire exchange can then be perf ormed without loosing wire access across a dilated lesion. We now repo rt a previously undescribed technique for reconstituting and reusing a n extended probe. The probe is initially transected at its proximal en d. It is then extended by connecting a ''Linx'' wire into the open cen tral lumen of the probe's hypotube. An over-the-wire balloon dilatatio n system is then substituted, via a wire exchange using a probing cath eter, for final definitive dilatation. The probe is then reconstituted in the following manner. The inflation hub of the probe is recreated by modifying a standard USCI Tuohy-Borst Y adaptor and attaching this to the transected probe hypotube. It is subsequently used for dilating other stenotic arteries during multivessel angioplasty. The utility o f this method was demonstrated in 5 consecutive cases. All cases under went successful dilatations. There were no complications. This initial experience would suggest that the probe can be reused quite safely an d effectively. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.