Comparison of 4 cerebral protection filters for carotid angioplasty: an in vitro experiment focusing on carotid anatomy.

Purpose: To assess the influence of internal carotid artery (ICA) tortuosity on the effectiveness of 4 cerebral protection filters in an in vitro bench-top model.

Methods: To simulate the anatomical arterial variants, 3 open flow models were constructed: one with normal carotid anatomy, 1 representing a mildly tortuous ICA, and a third imitating a severely tortuous ICA. Polyvinyl alcohol particles (150-1000 microm) served as the embolic material; the emboli were divided into 3 groups according to size: small (150-250 microm), medium (355-500 microm), and large (710-1000 microm).

Management of unexpected balloon rupture during deployment of balloon-expandable stents.

Purpose: To describe a method for dealing with balloon rupture during stent deployment.

Technique: A 10-mL Luer-Lock syringe containing contrast material and heparinized saline is used to re-expand a balloon ruptured during stent deployment, permitting maximum balloon expansion and successful initial stent-wall apposition. No adjunctive use of probing catheters or a power injector is necessary to achieve adequate stent expansion.