89 GUIDE EXTENSION CATHETER: INDICATION, USE AND RESULTS IN A LARGE SERIES OF COMPLEX PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTIONS


 
 
 The guide extension catheter (GEC) is a helpful tool to increase catheter support when facing complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in unfavorable coronary anatomies. The aim of this study was to describe indication, efficacy, and safety of the GEC in a high-volume center.
 
 
 
 From 2014 to 2021, we retrospectively identified and analyzed 351 interventional cases in which GEC was used to complete the procedure. The endpoints of the study were PCI success, procedural success and device failure. GEC use increased over the years and was more frequently used by radial approach (92.1%) in elective setting (90.6%) and using the 6F size (95.3%). The GEC was mostly implemented as bail-out strategy (75.9%) with the aim to improve back-up (89.6%), less frequently to optimize catheter alignment or obtain selective coronary cannulation (10.4%). Intracoronary advancement was performed using the guidewire in 1.3% of cases, after positioning of a second “buddy” wire in 23.2%, with support of a deflated balloon at the distal tip in 12.2%, or with anchoring technique in 63.3%. Mean coronary deep intubation depth was 38.8±23.9mm. Vessel and lesion characteristics are reported in Table I.
 Overall, PCI success rate was 92.5%, while procedural success (PCI success without in hospital adverse event) was 88.6%. GEC was successfully used in 92.7% of patients with no device-dependent severe adverse events; in particular, failures were related to inability to cross the target lesion in 4.5% or to device–related complication in 2.85% of cases.
 
 
 
 This large real-world registry on GEC use in complex PCI confirms the GEC as a valid and safe tool to increase backup support and overcome the limits of conventional technique during complex PCI.
