Combined use of aspiration catheter and distal embolisation protection device to facilitate angioplasty of a totally occluded saphenous vein graft.

Angioplasty of totally occluded saphenous vein grafts is a very challenging procedure and the likelihood of distal embolisation and no-reflow is much higher than in any conventional angioplasty. The use of thrombus aspiration and distal protection devices, although not well studied in a large number of patients, has been shown to be quite effective in preventing such complications. In this case we report our satisfactory experience from the combined use of a novel aspiration catheter and a distal protection device for the treatment of a totally occluded saphenous vein graft.