CORONARY EMBOLIZATION OF THE MEMBRANE FIXING A MULTILINK STENT TO ITSDELIVERY BALLOON

We report on a case of coronary embolization of an elastic membrane fi xing the ACS RX Multilink stent over its balloon, after a successful s tent delivery. The membrane was dislodged from the balloon in the osti um of the right coronary artery as the delivery balloon was being pull ed back into the guiding catheter. All attempts to retrieve the membra ne, to cover it with another stent, or to push it into a terminal segm ent of the artery to limit the jeopardized myocardial mass were unsucc essful. No CABG was performed because the left coronary system was nor mal and the procedure occurred 2 months after an incomplete inferior m yocardial infarction. There was no increase in cardiac enzymes nor ele ctrocardiographic signs of a new myocardial infarction at discharge or at 1-mo follow-up. It seems preferable to avoid further use of stents tied to their balloons with an intermediary, and possibly detachable, element. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.