Modified heparin-bonded catheter for cannulation of the coronary sinus from the femoral vein

Abstract

Serial sampling from the coronary sinus is an attractive technique for drawing blood samples to be used in the characterization of procoagulant activity during coronary interventions. We have developed a modified Simmons catheter for rapid cannulation of the coronary sinus from the femoral approach. The catheter design incorporates heparin bonding and distal side‐holes to minimize blood sampling artifacts. Coronary sinus cannulation was performed via the femoral approach in 186 patients by use of a multipurpose catheter (n = 8), an unmodified Simmons I or II catheter (n = 64), or the modified Simmons catheter (n = 114). The coronary sinus was cannulated successfully with the modified Simmons catheter in 97% of patients; the success rate with the unmodified Simmons II catheter was 87% (P = 0.02). The modified Simmons catheter represents an improved technique for cannulation of the coronary sinus from the femoral vein. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

The feasibility and safety of a simple method for coronary sinus blood sampling during catheter ablation of arrhythmias

“…CS sampling using a 6.5F Simmons II catheter was described in 1986 (11). Ten years later, Winters et al published a comparative study using multipurpose, Simmons I or II or a modified Simmons catheters through the right femoral vein (12). In 2014, Martínez et al (8) modified the technique described by Dehmer et al (11) using a 5F right femoral vein sheath and 5F Simmons I (for females) and II (for males) catheters.…”

Invasive assessment of the coronary circulation: intravascular ultrasound and Doppler

“…However, these approaches do incur a small risk of pneumothorax and femoral approaches are often more desirable. Cannulation of the coronary sinus from the femoral vein can be performed by using a preformed specific 6F catheter (modified Simmons Torcon NB catheter, HNB6.0‐NT‐100‐PW‐2S‐112393‐BH) [5] (Figure 1) or modifying a 6F Judkins left 5 catheter [6]. To avoid atrial blood mixing, the catheter needs to be advanced, sometimes with the assistance of a guide wire, deep into the ostium and beyond the posterior interventricular vein.…”