Subselective Intracoronary Access Guide Catheters for use with the ProbeTM Balloon on a Wire Coronary Dilatation Device

Subselective coronary access guide catheters are described for use with the Probe^TM balloon on a wire coronary dilatation device. These access catheters provide the following advantages over the "naked" Probe^TM: (1) Guide catheter stabilization, (2) Lesion access, (3) Lesion visualization, (4) Lesion crossing, and (5) Lesion protection. The Probe/access catheter system was used in 51 patients on 132 lesions (average 2.6 lesions/patient; range 1–8 lesions/patient) of which 116 (88%) were dilated successfully. Failures tended to be in total occlusions or in eccentric subtotal occlusions that could not be crossed with the Probe^TM tip wire. No patient required emergency coronary bypass. One patient sustained a small myocardial infarction within 24 hours of the procedure. One patient developed hemopericardium after rupture of a small branch coronary artery. One patient died from intracerebral bleeding due to thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy. The Probe^TM access catheter system has several advantages over the Probe^TM device alone, and future developments can be expected to extend these benefits. (J Inter-ven Cardiol 1989:2:1)