The 'gooseneck' concept in microvascular retrieval.

Percutaneous devices have long been used for the retrieval of foreign bodies from major vessels. Only recently have devices been designed of a caliber practical enough for use in the neurovascular system. We describe two cases in which a microretrieval system was used to remove foreign bodies from the extracranial carotid artery and the intracranial circulation. In one case, a hybrid retrieval system allowed recovery of an otherwise nearly inaccessible malpositioned microcoil.