The Asahi sheathless guide catheter system is a hydrophilic catheter with a central dilator that does not require an introducer sheath during transradial percutaneous coronary intervention. Conventional sheath introducers are often 1- to 2F larger than the catheter itself; therefore, this system enables the use of a larger French catheter during procedures than would otherwise be possible using conventional techniques. We describe the use of a 7.5F sheathless guide catheter system with a smaller outer diameter than a conventional 6F introducer sheath in 16 cases performed transradially involving rotablation, crush stent bifurcation lesions, 7F proximal protection, and thrombectomy devices. Such cases would otherwise not always be possible if performed using conventional transradial techniques in patients with smaller radial artery sizes.
Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.