Purpose: To describe the use of a re-entry catheter in the endovascular treatment of left subclavian stenosis.
Materials and methods: We present three patients where initial attempts at re-vascularisation using standard techniques were unsuccessful. An OUTBACK catheter was employed to facilitate re-entry in these patients.
Results: True lumen re-entry was achieved in all patients, leading to successful treatment of all stenoses. There was a lack of filling of the left vertebral artery post-angioplasty in one patient; this was not clinically significant.
Conclusion: The case series presented is encouraging for the use of a re-entry catheter in the treatment of subclavian occlusion. In our limited experience this has proved to be a safe technique for use in patients who fail re-vascularisation by standard methods; a larger study is required to confirm this.
Keywords: OUTBACK; Re-entry catheter; Subclavian; Subclavian stenosis; Subclavian stent.