Management of coronary perforations during angioplasty

Coronary perforation represents a terrible complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) which, if not promptly recognized and treated, can lead to catastrophic consequences for the patient. Hence, acquisition of the basic techniques for the treatment of coronary perforations is critical for the interventional cardiologist in order to safely perform PCIs. Although the incidence of coronary perforations remains low during PCI, it is possible to recognize some subgroups of patients and some types of coronary lesions, such as chronic coronary total occlusions, that are associated with increased risk. The treatments currently available depend on the type and site of coronary perforation, therefore timely recognition is of paramount importance in order to be able to quickly establish the most appropriate treatment.