Balloon Embolectomy of a Cylindrical Dissected Plaque That Complicated Performing Superficial Femoral Artery Angioplasty

We report here on a case of successfully removing a calcified plaque embolus that complicated performing angioplasty. A 67 year-old woman underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for a stenosis of the right superficial femoral artery (SFA). The angiogram showed a marked stenosis at the mid-portion of SFA and diffuse circular calcification along the atheroma rim was seen on the computed tomographic angiography. Although balloon inflation was attempted on the lesion, it was not fully dilated. After repeated balloon inflations, a radiopaque calcified atheroma was detached from the arterial wall and it migrated proximally along with withdrawing the balloon. The embolus was too extensive to be pulled out through the catheter sheath; therefore, a small balloon was inflated at the distal end of the embolic atheroma to anchor it and the embolus was removed with the balloon and the sheath system via an arteriotomized puncture site. A huge cylindrical atheroma that measured 4 cm in length was successfully removed. The final angiography showed a widened target site without any dye leakage. (Korean Circ J 2008;38:335-338)