Optical coherence tomography visualisation of burst balloon catheter trapped by coronary stent

A 69-year-old man with prior anterior myocardial infarction underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for significant stenosis of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. High-pressure inflation by non-compliant balloon was required because of severe calcification in the culprit lesion. The balloon ruptured during inflation and an angiographic filling defect appeared in the LAD. The balloon catheter was pulled out of the body and the tip and membranous part of the catheter was lost (Panel A, black arrowhead). Although we attempted to retrieve the foreign body in the LAD using a gooseneck snare, grasping the small fragment was impossible. Then we ...