A case of guide wire fracture with remnant filaments in the left anterior descending coronary artery and aorta

Korean Circ J. 2010 Sep;40(9):475-7. doi: 10.4070/kcj.2010.40.9.475. Epub 2010 Sep 30.

Abstract

Guide wire fractures during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are very rare, but when they do occur they may lead to life-threatening complications, such as embolization, thrombus formation and perforation. In cases when percutaneous retrieval has failed, surgical extraction of the remnant fragments is recommended. We present a case of remnant guide wire filaments that remained in place without complications, over a one-year clinical follow up period.

Keywords: Coronary artery disease; Percataneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.