Surgical Removal of Broken and Inflated Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty Balloon Catheter: Role of Transesophageal Echocardiography

An entrapment and breakage of coronary angioplasty catheter during coronary intervention is a rare but serious complication. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) catheter got entrapped and broken inside the left anterior descending artery (LAD) in a 58-year-old male patient. The whole length of the PTCA catheter was retrieved through an arteriotomy incision in LAD along with reversed saphenous vein graft to LAD, under cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest. We discuss here the various percutaneous retrieval techniques and surgical management of entrapped broken PTCA catheter and also the role of transesophageal echocardiography intraoperatively.