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Which Interventional Device Review: Reekross Balloon
Features
The Reekross balloon is essentially an angioplasty balloon on a flexible stainless steel shaft. Balloons are from 4cm to 22cm in length and diameters of 2-6mm. There are versions that go over 0.018 inch and 0.035 inch wires.
Design/construction
The stainless steel shaft greatly increases the pushability of the catheter compared with standard balloons that can buckle under such force. It also allows almost full transmission of any torque to the catheter tip.The distal end of the catheter with the balloon does not contain the steel shaft and is therefore very flexible to allow the balloon to track. The balloon has a rated burst pressure in excess of 12atm.
In use
I have used this balloon in two difficult cases. The first was a tight sfa occlusion. The wire crossed the lesion but I could not get any catheter or balloon to cross. This balloon behaved exactly as expected and I was able to push it through the lesion easily and perform the angioplasty.
The second case was a ureteroileal occlusion in a patient with cystectomy and an ileal conduit. I performed a nephrostomy and again I could cross the occlusion with a slippy wire, but nothing else would pass, even with the use of a long peelaway sheath. I inserted the Reekross balloon through the pcn. It tracked around the curve of the PUJ and I was able to apply sufficient forward force through the shaft to cross the occlusion easily.
Conclusion
This device really does do ‘what it says on the tin’. It certainly has a useful place in those difficult vessel occlusions including subintimal angioplasty. I can also see a role in the occluded ureter, specifically distal ureteric occlusions due to TCC.
http://www.clearstream.ie/
For images and full review, please visit radRounds Partner Site: WhichInterventionalDevice
The Reekross balloon is essentially an angioplasty balloon on a flexible stainless steel shaft. Balloons are from 4cm to 22cm in length and diameters of 2-6mm. There are versions that go over 0.018 inch and 0.035 inch wires.
Design/construction
The stainless steel shaft greatly increases the pushability of the catheter compared with standard balloons that can buckle under such force. It also allows almost full transmission of any torque to the catheter tip.The distal end of the catheter with the balloon does not contain the steel shaft and is therefore very flexible to allow the balloon to track. The balloon has a rated burst pressure in excess of 12atm.
In use
I have used this balloon in two difficult cases. The first was a tight sfa occlusion. The wire crossed the lesion but I could not get any catheter or balloon to cross. This balloon behaved exactly as expected and I was able to push it through the lesion easily and perform the angioplasty.
The second case was a ureteroileal occlusion in a patient with cystectomy and an ileal conduit. I performed a nephrostomy and again I could cross the occlusion with a slippy wire, but nothing else would pass, even with the use of a long peelaway sheath. I inserted the Reekross balloon through the pcn. It tracked around the curve of the PUJ and I was able to apply sufficient forward force through the shaft to cross the occlusion easily.
Conclusion
This device really does do ‘what it says on the tin’. It certainly has a useful place in those difficult vessel occlusions including subintimal angioplasty. I can also see a role in the occluded ureter, specifically distal ureteric occlusions due to TCC.
http://www.clearstream.ie/
For images and full review, please visit radRounds Partner Site: WhichInterventionalDevice
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