Coronary Angioplasty (Ms JB)

SA, a 59 year old male, underwent a coronary angiogram as part of the work up for a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). He had a background of high blood pressure, obesity, ischaemic heart disease (with previous coronary angiogram) and smoking. He underwent a further coronary angiogram through the right radial artery (in the wrist) with a 6F TIG catheter. The test showed severe disease in the left circumflex and right coronary arteries, as well as a patent (opened) stent in the left anterior descending artery. Lesions were found to be suitable for angioplasty. The patient was referred back to the cardiothoracic surgeons for further discussion regarding his treatment.

MN, a male aged 46, had been suffering from left-sided chest pain which may not be related to exertion. He has a very strong family history of coronary artery disease. He also has a background of high cholesterol, obesity, diet controlled diabetes and he is an ex-smoker. Echocardiogram was performed which showed good left ventricular function. Before the coronary angiogram, he had a CT cardiac angiogram which showed occlusion of the first diagonal from the left anterior descending artery. From this, he was arranged a coronary angiogram through the right radial artery (in the wrist). The left anterior descending artery was catheterised with the Medtronic 6F EBU3.5 Launcher and a Verrata pressure wire was used to measure pressures across the lesions. When the distal diagonal branch was crossed with the Whisper MS wire, the stenosis was predilated with Euphora 2.0mm x 12mm and a drug eluting stent Xience PRO 2.25mm x 15mm was deployed. The interventional treatment was successful.

Mr AD was suffering from symptoms of angina (chest pain due to an inadequate blood supply to the heart). He had a coronary angiogram that revealed narrowing in blood vessel supplying the heart that was causing his symptoms. It demonstrated severe narrowing of the left circumflex coronary artery. He went on to have this treated by percutaneous (through the blood vessel in the right arm) coronary angioplasty. This was performed by relieving the narrowing with balloons initially followed by deployment of two drug eluting stents (3mm and 2.5mm diameter) to his left circumflex coronary artery. The stents were optimised with intravascular ultrasound.

SM, a 69 year old male, admitted urgently with severe crushing chest pain. His past medical history included chronic colitis. ECG confirmed ST elevation myocardial infarction (heart attack). He underwent emergent coronary angiogram through the right radial artery (in the wrist) using a 6F catheter. The test showed the left anterior descending artery - one of the arteries of the heart - was found to be occluded proximally. Using aspiration (sucking out), a small red clot and large amounts of white clot were removed. Significant stenosis was crossed and predilated with the RX Euphora 3.0mm x 20mm balloon. Following, the XIENCE PRO 3.0 x 48mm stent was deployed.

SG, a female aged 70, came in with exertional chest pain. She has a background of high cholesterol and high blood pressure. She was offered coronary angiogram through the right radial artery (in the wrist) with the use of a TIG 5F Diagnostic Catheter. The test revealed disease of the left main stem coronary artery and its branches, as well as an occluded right coronary artery. Following this, she was scheduled for a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).

AK, a 78 year old female, came into hospital with chest discomfort. She admitted to being under some stress. Her ECG showed sinus rhythm with left bundle branch block. After her echocardiogram proved to be normal, she decided she would like a coronary angiogram. The coronary angiogram accessed through the right radial artery (in the wrist) with a 6F catheter was also shown to be normal.