Use of wire as a snare for endovascular retrieval of displaced or stretched coils: rescue from a technical complication

Introduction The displacement or stretching of coils during coiling of cerebral aneurysms is not an unusual technical complication, thus causing potentially disastrous consequences. Here, a simple technique using a wire as a snare for the removal of displaced and stretched coils is described. Methods The simple wire technique was used to remove a coil displaced in the distal M2 that a microsnare had failed to capture and another coil stretched during the coiling of cerebral aneurysms. Results The displaced coil lodged in the distal small cerebral vessel was entwined and removed using a microwire that was shaped manually as a pigtail at the tip. To retrieve the stretched coil, where a proximally stretched portion of the coil still remains in the delivery catheter with the distal portion placed in the aneurysm, a guidewire with a J-shaped tip was used. The coil was hooked and entwined by twisting this wire tip, which could be removed without difficulty. Conclusion This simple technique using a wire as a snare could be a useful method for removing displaced or stretched coils in selected cases.