A randomised controlled study comparing conventional and magnetic guidewires in a two‐dimensional branching tortuous phantom simulating angulated coronary vessels

Objectives: To directly compare the magnetic navigation system (MNS) guidewires with conventional guidewires in branching tortuous phantoms with operators of varying MNS and percutaneous coronary intervention experience. Background: Vessel tortuosity, angulation, and side branches remain limiting factors in coronary interventions. The MNS addresses these limitations by precisely directing the tip of a magnetised guidewire in vivo aided by two permanent adjustable external magnets. Methods: Crossing and fluoroscopy times of six operators were evaluated in five tortuous Perspex® phantom vessels in three consecutive attempts. Standard guidewire (SG) usage was unrestricted. Two 2nd generation magnetic guidewires (MG) were used. Failure was noted if the cross was unsuccessful within 5 min. Results: The magnetic navigation was vastly superior to SG techniques with increasingly tortuous phantoms. It dramatically decreased both the crossing and fluoroscopy times with maximal reduction from 201.7 ± 111 to 36.4 ± 13 sec, P < 0.001 and 204.7 ± 24 to 47.2 ± 19 sec, P < 0.001, respectively. The MNS had a 98.8% procedural success rate compared to 68% with SG techniques. Moreover it considerably limited the amount of wire usage from 5.5 to 1.3. Operators with prior MG experience performed significantly better than those without, except in the simplest phantom where the difference was nonsignificant (33.8 ± 13 sec vs. 41.7 ± 17 sec, P = 0.2). Conclusion: MNS significantly reduces both the crossing and fluoroscopy times in tortuous coronary phantom models achieving excellent success rates with dramatic reductions in guidewire usage. Operators with prior MNS experience had an advantage over the inexperienced. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.