Management of Traction Wire Fracture Complicating Mechanical Basket Lithotripsy

Abstract BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The application of basket catheters has become the main method of removing calculi from the biliary and pancreatic duct. However, larger or impacted stones have to be crushed and fragmented by mechanical lithotriptors before removal is possible. Sometimes, fracture of the traction wire occurrs as a severe and fraught complication. We describe a precautionary measure which helps to manage this complication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a series of 569 consecutive patients suffering from bile or pancreatic duct stones we found 60 (10.5 %) who required mechanical lithotripsy for oversized or impacted calculi. Mechanical lithotripsy was always performed initally with a long metal sheath (80 cm) in combination with a standard traction wire. If the traction wire fractured we replaced the long metal sheath stepwise by shorter ones (70 cm, 60 cm and 50 cm, respectively), allowing immediate continuation of the lithotriptic procedure using the same traction wire. RESULTS: During the lithotriptic procedure three of our patients (5 %) were afflicted by traction wire fracture. Two patients could be relieved directly by changing the initial metal sheath to shorter ones. Because of the exceptional hardness of a pancreatic duct stone the third patient needed stone fragmention by extracorporeal shock wave lithrotripsy (ESWL) before complete mechanical clearance of the duct could be accomplished. CONCLUSION: We advocate the inital use of a long metal sheath (80 cm) to perform mechanical lithotripsy. In case of traction wire fracture the use of a shorter metal sheath allows immediate successful continuation of the procedure, thereby frequently avoiding procedures such as ESWL or surgery.