An improved snare system for the nonsurgical retrieval of intravascular foreign bodies

Abstract

We have modified a snare technique originally described for transcolonoscopic removal of colonic polyps for the retrieval of intravascular foreign bodies. The key difference from other snare techniques is the employment of a wire snare with a crimp in its midportion that enables the formation of a loop in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the guiding catheter. With this technique we have quickly removed a variety of objects from the right heart and pulmonary arteries in four patients.

Percutaneous retrieval of foreign body from the left ventricular cavity

“…Then a wire-snare was introduced through an 8F Judkins right coronary guiding catheter. Several attempts to catch a free end of the guidewire were unsuccessful, even after crimping of the snaring wire as advocated by Hubert et a1 [2]. Finally, after freeing one end of the wire-fragment with the tip of the guiding catheter, the snare entrapped the broken guidewire, which could be pulled into the guiding catheter and removed through the femoral introducer sheath (Fig.…”

Retrieval Devices and Techniques for the Extraction of Intravascular Foreign Bodies in the Coronary Arteries

“…The Amplatz gooseneck snare and microsnare (ev3 Endovascular, Plymouth, MN, USA) are the most commonly used loop snares for the percutaneous removal of foreign bodies in the coronary arteries, the cardiac chambers, and in the peripheral vasculature 8,9,21–23 (Fig. 1).…”

“…The loop snare is the most commonly used snare for percutaneous removal of a foreign body 3,7–23 . A loop snare consists of a movable wire in the shape of a loop that is attached to or pulled through an outer catheter 3,7–23 . The wire loop is advanced around the foreign body.…”

“…1). These devices feature a single snare loop composed of gold tungsten that is oriented 90° from the shaft of the snare 2–23 . The shaft is composed of nitinol for durability and kink resistance.…”

Retrieval of a fractured USCI probe tip from a diseased coronary artery using another fixed‐wire balloon catheter, the Cordis Orion

“…A variety of innovative non-surgical (percutaneous) techniques for retrieval of foriegn bodies has been reported, including snaring with another guidewire and/or angiography catheter (often a pigtail) [6,9,10], use of a Dotter retrieval catheter [4], use of a Dormia stone catcher [ 1 I], use of a bioptome [7], as well as a variety of other snaring techniques and tools [3,12,13]. This case report describes a novel m e t~o d for removi~g a fractured wire segment by using another fixed-wire angioplasty balloon catheter.…”