Aortic dissection during directional coronary atherectomy

Directional coronary atherectomy has been applied to aorto-ostial lesions with higher success and lower complication rates than conventional balloon angioplasty. Aortic injuries have been reported with this technique, most resulting from the tip of the catheter. In this report, an aortic dissection caused by the shaft of the directional coronary atherectomy catheter is described.