The use of the Tracker catheter as a guidewire support device in angioplasty of angulated and tortuous circumflex coronary arteries.

Marked angulation and tortuosity of the coronary arteries, particularly the circumflex, can limit coronary angioplasty. Despite the use of adequate guide catheter support and high performance guidewires, it is often difficult or even impossible to reach the distal segment of the target vessel with the guidewire. We describe three cases of successful complex circumflex coronary artery angioplasty where guidewire advancement through proximal angulated and tortuous anatomy was facilitated by the Tracker-18 Hi-Flow catheter after failure of conventional angioplasty hardware.

Duke Scholars

Author Paul Alfred Gurbel Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology