Inadvertent retrieval of a broken PTCA catheter from the aorta during off-pump coronary bypass : case report

To cut costs, many centres around the world utilise previously used, resterilised balloon catheters to perform coronary angioplasty. The fracture and lodging of an angioplasty device within the coronary arteries is a rare but increasingly noted complication. In this article, we report on the inadvertent retrieval of a coronary angioplasty catheter during off-pump coronary bypass. The accidental removal of the catheter, which extended to the descending aorta, has obviously been life saving. This experience has shown that a high degree of caution is required when planning an operation for the retrieval of PTCA hardware.