Use of the Venture™ wire control catheter to access complex coronary lesions : how to turn procedural failure into success

AIMS: To describe the impact of a steerable device on procedural success and times. The Venture wire control catheter (VWC-St. Jude Medical, Maple Grove, MN, U.S.A.), facilitates wire orientation providing excellent backup support and may therefore assist in cases in which conventional approaches have failed. METHODS AND RESULTS: We describe all cases in which the VWC catheter was used at our institutions. The device was employed after prolonged attempts with standard wires had failed. We analysed procedural success and complication rates, as well as the impact of this device on procedural times. We evaluated 18 cases. The mean time from the first wire attempt to the end of the procedure was 58 minutes. Lesion crossing attempts with standard wires were performed for a mean time of 23 minutes (range 10-45 minutes). The VWC catheter was employed as the last resort, leading to procedural success in 14 cases. Lesion crossing with the VWC catheter was achieved in a mean time of four minutes (range one to 15 minutes). There were no device-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience shows how the VWC catheter can turn procedural failures into successes, significantly impacting procedural times in different challenging scenarios. This device may represent an extremely useful addition to the interventionalist's armamentarium.