Comparison of 6F with 7F and 8F guiding catheters for elective coronary angioplasty: Results of a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial

New method to increase a backup support of a 6 French guiding coronary catheter

“…A strong backup support of a guiding catheter is essential in achieving a successful result in PCI [3,4]. In vitro experimental model showed that the five-in-six system could generate a better backup support compared to a 6 or even a 7 Fr guiding catheter alone.…”

“…If we start PCI with a 6 Fr guiding catheter, we can change to a 7 or an 8 Fr guiding catheter, which can generate better backup support [3,4]. Amplatz or Voda guiding catheters are very well known because their designs give strong backup support [10 -12].…”

“…Currently, a 6 Fr guiding catheter is commonly used in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), since its use can decrease access site complication, enable early ambulation, and reduce the consumption of the contrast dye [1][2][3][4]. Major limitations of a 6 Fr guiding catheter are the inner lumen is not big enough to accommodate bulky atherectomy devices, and its backup support is not strong compared to a 7 or an 8 Fr catheter.…”

Bleeding complications in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing early invasive management can be reduced with radial access, smaller sheath sizes, and timely sheath removal

“…Several retrospective studies have identified associations between sheath size and access site complications [5,7,8], although other studies have not found any association [6,10]. One randomized trial showed fewer femoral access site complications with 6 Fr compared to 7/8 Fr for PCI procedures [39]. Randomized trials comparing 5 Fr with larger sheaths for coronary angiography have not shown any differences in access site complications [11,40].…”

Editorial comment: Importance of French size in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

“…Metz et al [9] reported the results of a study including 460 patients, of whom 25% were stented, randomized to 6F angioplasty (231 patients) or 7/8F (229 patients). The rate of femoral complications including benign hematomas was significantly lower in the 6F group (13.8%) than in the 7/8F group (23.5%).…”