# Escaping a Nightmare: Successfully Retrieving a Fractured Guidewire During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

## TL;DR

This paper describes a rare case where a fractured guidewire during heart surgery was successfully removed using a specialized device.

## Contribution

The novel use of a neurovascular device to retrieve a fractured guidewire during PCI is highlighted.

## Key findings

- A fractured guidewire was safely retrieved during PCI in a 44-year-old male patient.
- The retrieval was accomplished using a 4×40 mm Solitaire device.
- The procedure avoided complications like thrombosis or vessel occlusion.

## Abstract

A guidewire fracture seldom occurs as a complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Guidewire fragments retained in the coronary tree can result in thrombosis, embolic phenomena, dissection, perforation, and vessel occlusion. This study represents a rare incidence of fractured guide wire, which occurred during PCI in a 44-year-old male due to the acute angle and heavy calcification which was safely and successfully retrieved using a 4×40 mm Solitaire device (Irvine, CA: Medtronic) (neurovascular remodeling device).