Novel technique for coil embolization of intercostal branch of internal mammary artery graft

Coronary artery steal resulting from a large unligated intercostal or pericardial side branch of the internal mammary artery graft causing postoperative angina has been previously described. Transcatheter coil occlusion of internal mammary artery side branch has successfully been performed to treat coronary steal syndrome. Unsuccessful deployment of the microcoils can be due to inadequate guiding support in the LIMA or prolapse of the delivery catheter in the side branch. We report a new approach for the precise deployment of coils in the side branch of a LIMA graft, when inadequate guiding support is present. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Diagn. 42:229–231, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.