Subclavian artery intervention with a balloon-tipped occlusion catheter via the ipsilateral brachial artery without an introducer sheath.

To protect against a distal embolism in the vertebral artery, subclavian artery stenting can be achieved by positioning a filter device or balloon in the ipsilateral vertebral artery. However, treatment with these devices is not easy, and it is also an inaccurate method for cerebral protection. We developed a balloon-tipped occlusion catheter (Optimo(®) occlusion catheter) without an introducer sheath, which allowed us to perform the minimally invasive endovascular therapy (EVT). Herein, we report two EVT cases for subclavian artery disease treated with an Optimo(®) occlusion catheter via the ipsilateral brachial artery. This method is effective for distal protection of both cerebral and brachial artery embolism, and also enables EVT procedure retrogradely as well.