A Case of Surgical Removal of Fractured Pressure Wire in Coronary Artery during Fractional Flow Reserve Measurement

Abstract

We report a rare case in which a pressure wire for fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement was eventfully fractured within the lumen of the coronary artery during percutaneous coronary intervention. A 70-year-old man had a fractured and retained pressure wire entrapped in the right coronary artery. We successfully removed the total length of the fractured wire from a small incision of distal right coronary artery and performed Off-Pump CABG using the incision as an anastomosis. Cardiac interventionists should be aware of this complication. Since intravascular device fragments cause highly thrombogenic and coronary perforation, surgical removal should be considered promptly if percutaneous removal is impossible.