Removal of an entrapped guidewire by excimer laser coronary angioplasty in patients with chronic total occlusion intervention.

Guidewire entrapment (GE) is a rare complication that warrants complex interventions or surgical procedures. Here, we report the removal of an entrapped guidewire using excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) in a case of chronic total occlusion (CTO). Plaque tissue trapped with the guidewire was also removed. Histopathological examination revealed that although specific components were entrapped with the guidewire, loosening the adjacent collagen fibres during ELCA contributed to the successful removal of the guidewire. This case showed that ELCA may be a novel modality for the removal of an entrapped guidewire in cases of CTO.