Prolonged coronary splinting in the management of acute coronary closure

Abstract

Acute closure is an infrequent but serious complication of PTCA that is often unsuccessfully treated by repeat dilatation. Two patients with acute closure refractory to repeat conventional PTCA were treated with prolonged coronary "splinting" using low-pressure reperfusion catheter balloon inflations of 11 and 15 h duration. The patients developed no chest pain or ST-segment changes during this period. The serum creatine kinase rose to 738 and 372 U/L, respectively. Neither patient evolved a Q-wave myocardial infarction. Both patients remain asymptomatic after 6 months of follow-up.