RETRIEVAL OF A MIGRATED CORONARY STENT BY MEANS OF AN ALLIGATOR FORCEPS CATHETER

Stent migration and embolization are well-known complications of intra coronary stenting with balloon-mounted stents. During an elective sten ting procedure of a proximal right coronary artery stenosis, a 3.5 mm Wiktor stent (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis) was displaced from its deli very balloon. The guiding catheter and the delivery system were withdr awn, leaving the stent around a 3 m 0.014 inch High Torque floppy guid ewire (ACS, Santa Clara, CA) in the abdominal aorta. An 40 cm 5F Allig ator Forceps catheter (Cook OB/Gyn., Spencer, IN), introduced through a cut-off 8F coronary guiding catheter, allowed improved torque contro l of the retrieval catheter and a safe and successful withdrawal of th e stent through the arterial introducer sheet. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, In c.