Usefulness of the "sheep technique" in the endovascular treatment for cerebral aneurysms

Abstract

Objective: The "Sheep technique" is a special technique for navigating a balloon catheter that is difficult to navigate because of the steep angle of the branching vessel.
Case presentation: We treated two patients having intracranial aneurysms by endovascular therapy with the sheep technique. In both cases, initial balloon catheter navigation failed because the branch near the aneurysm was steep. With the aid of the sheep technique, the balloon catheter was successfully delivered into the target vessel. Coil embolization was then performed using a balloon remodeling technique.
Conclusion: The sheep technique is effective when balloon catheter delivery is difficult because the branch near the aneurysm is steep.