Combining balloon-assisted tracking and sheathless guiding catheter: unloosening the Gordian knot

In a patient with a small-calibre radial artery and a 360 degrees radio-ulnar loop, we combined the balloon-assisted tracking (BAT) technique (used to track a catheter trough the loop) with the use of a 6.5 F PB sheathless guiding catheter, in order to allow the extensive catheter manipulations needed for PCI despite the ongoing artery spasm. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.