Utility of the "buddy" wire in intracranial procedures.

Patients undergoing neurointerventional procedures with excessively tortuous vascular anatomy often have limited treatment options. The ability to pass and maintain the stability of micro-guidewires, catheters, and interventional devices is often a product of guide catheter steadiness. A companion wire passed through the lumen of the guide catheter to increase the guide catheter's stiffness can overcome the challenges associated with tortuous anatomy; this companion wire is referred to as a "buddy" wire. We demonstrate the technical success of this system by presenting a patient whose endovascular treatment would have otherwise been impossible without a "buddy" wire.