Single Teflon Catheters

Abstract

Rigid Teflon catheters have long been used for percutaneous angiography by the Seldinger technique. Teflon catheters with various preformed tips have been used in preference to the soft Dacron catheters because of their firmness. For the same reason Dotter and Judkins [1, 2] have employed Teflon in their coaxial catheter dilating set for the treatment of femoropopliteal obstructions. In consideration of the large wall defect induced at the puncture site by the outer catheter of 12 Charrière, Staple [12] referred to his employment of a simple catheter. Several groups have used simple Oedman catheters and had unsatisfactory results. In 1968, we reported on our first experiences in percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with the Gensini catheter [14]. This catheter had been developed for thoracic aortography. The shape of the tip was mildly preformed and four side holes were placed behind the tip. Prior to the development of the Grüntzig balloon catheter [6], we employed the coaxial dilating set of Dotter and the Gensini catheter with either straight or bowed tip in the 7-F and 8-F sizes. With the additional employment of a stiff inner metal cannula for introduction, even long femoral arterial occlusions could be recanalized with the Dotter or special Gensini catheters without increased risk of bleeding at the puncture site after the procedure. The visit of van Andel and Puijlaert to our institution led to the development of the “van Andel catheter system” (Fig. 1).