The Feasibility of Systematic Use of a Combined Diagnostic and Interventional 6 Fr Guide Catheter in Patients with Suspected Coronary Restenosis

This prospective study assessed the feasibility of re‐percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for coronary restenosis using routinely the new 6 Fr diagnostic/interventional Diaventional catheter with a large internal lumen (0.057) in 80 consecutive patients. Two patients had restenosis on two vessels. The restenosed coronary artery more frequently was the left anterior descending coronary artery (52%). In the first six patients, the over‐the‐wire technique was used; in the other patients, we used a balloon‐on‐a‐wire device or a rapid‐exchange balloon catheter. With these latter techniques, angiographic visualization was satisfactory, even when the balloon was placed through the stenosis. The balloon size varied from 2.0‐3.5 mm (mean 2.9 ± 0.4 mm). In two patients, an immediate recoil needed reintervention with the same equipment and yielded a satisfactory final result. All but one procedure (81/82) were successful (in one patient, a total chronic occlusion could only transiently be reopened). However, in four patients, a complementary 6 Fr or 8 Fr technique, using standard guiding catheters, had to be used for a large dissection (two patients) and for failure to cross a tight stenosis (two patients). The overall success rate was 94% (77/82), with a 9.2% reduction of the total cost of the invasive procedure. In coronary restenosis, the use of the new 6 Fr diagnostic/interventional Diaventional catheter is possible with an excellent overall success rate and a reduction of the total cost of the invasive procedure.