Interventional cardiology training traditionally involves one-on-one experience following a master-apprentice model, much as other procedural disciplines. Development of a realistic computer-based training system that includes hand-eye coordination, catheter and guide wire choices, three-dimensional anatomic representations, and an integrated learning system is desirable, in order to permit lea...

We report an unusual complication of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, in which the guide wire became lodged in the bronchial tree. The assistance of an expert bronchoscopist resulted in successful removal of a fractured J wire with no adverse sequelae for the patient. A subsequent incident has given insight into the mechanism of damage to the guide wire.

Three patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis were treated with percutaneous mitral valvotomy. A Brockenbrough catheter was advanced transseptally into the left atrium and then into the left ventricle over a long guide wire. An angle wire loop retriever was advanced through a 10 Fr straight catheter via the femoral artery into the left ventricle. The retriever was used to catch the flexible end...

BACKGROUND During lead implantation, venous access is generally achieved by puncturing the subclavian or axillary vein. Sometimes, although rarely, after lead positioning, the lead must be changed because of its inadequate mechanical stability or poor pacing parameters. This report concerns a technique of lead exchange that avoids an additional vein puncture. METHOD The tip of the lead, that ...

A significant number of self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) placed as conservative therapy for malignant biliary obstruction will become occluded [1]. Stent occlusion can be treated endoscopically either by balloon trawling to remove the biliary sludge and debris or by inserting a polyethylene stent or a second stent through the occluded stent [2]. However, these treatments can be given only af...

OBJECTIVE The standard approach for endovascular treatment of the renal artery is access via the common femoral artery. However, approximately one in eight patients have a renal artery take-off angle that is less than 50°. In these patients approaching via a femoral access site can be technically challenging. The goal of this study was to design and implement a set of experiments that could emp...

There are two main systems that can be used to coil and uncoil the wires of a wire-driven parallel robots: a rotary motor that turns a drum on which the wire is coiled or a linear motor with a pulley system. The rotary category may be divided into two sub-categories: the system with a spiral guide for the coiling, allowing only layer for the wire and the system without guide, that allows for se...

Intra-medullary nailing is a standard form of treatment for diaphyseal tibial fractures. Insertion of the nail requires threading of the nail over a smooth guide-wire. Inadvertent complications during this stage have been reported. We report a case of inadvertent penetration of the tibio-talar joint by the smooth guide wire caused by incarceration of a fracture fragment between the nail and the...

Technical errors during intramedullary nail insertion are not uncommon. We report a case of tibial guide wire penetration into the distal tibial articular surface, the talus and the calcaneus during insertion of the nail with the ankle dorsiflexed. This has not been reported in the past. Computerized tomogram was a useful tool in the diagnosis. This complication was associated with long-standin...

In virtual surgery of minimally invasive vascular intervention, the force feedback is transmitted through the flexible guide wire. The disturbance caused by the flexible deformation would affect the fidelity of the VR (virtual reality) training. SMC (sliding mode control) strategy with delayed-output observer is adopted to suppress the effect of flexible deformation. In this study, the control ...