Buddy catheter--to overcome difficulty in coronary sinus cannulation.

ABSTRACT

Coronary sinus cannulation during an electrophysiology study can be quite challenging. This article describes a new technique that we use to cannulate the coronary sinus in cases where cannulation is not easy. The technique involves using a deflectable quadripolar catheter as a buddy to enable the decapolar catheter to slip in. It is easy and quickly performed. It also avoids the use of contrast. We hence, recommend that this method be adopted to place the decapolar catheter in the coronary sinus in all difficult cases.