What Are the Important Aspects of Catheter Selection and Navigation

The goal of coil embolization for cerebral aneurysms is to occlude the cerebral aneurysm to prevent rupture while maintaining the patency of the parent artery. The integrity of cerebral aneurysm occlusion is affected by many factors, including cerebral aneurysm morphology, dome-neck size, dome-neck ratio, and the location of the aneurysm and its parent artery. These factors are then considered pre-operatively and the position of each catheter that allows for the most efficient embolization is assumed. To navigate each catheter to the ideal position, it is necessary to know the characteristics(shape, flexibility, size, etc.)of each catheter. In addition, it is necessary to know the procedure and positioning of balloon catheters or stenting catheters if you use adjunctive techniques. This article will provide guidance for beginners who start coil embolization and provide basic knowledge of how to use catheters, their combinations, and basic methods to help the physician performing optimal coil embolization.