How to Manage Balloon Entrapment During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of a Calcified Lesion A Case Report

Main Content Sections:

  • The case involved a 68-year-old patient with a calcified stenosis in the left anterior descending artery (LAD), who experienced balloon entrapment during PCI.
  • The balloon failed to deflate after dilatation, causing significant complications, including pain and ST-segment elevation.
  • Successful management involved a technique referred to as “Buddy-Balloon” combined with a “Cage” to retrieve the trapped balloon and resolve the occlusion.

Potential Balloon Entrapment Mechanisms:

  • Acute recoil from a highly calcified lesion.
  • Strangulation of the balloon by the guiding catheter before complete deflation.
  • Breakage or bending of the hypotube.

Management Strategies:

  • Dilating the balloon in the inflator and overexpanding it.
  • Using a second guidewire for a Buddy-Balloon technique.
  • In extreme cases, surgical intervention may be required.

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