A rare case report of the successful withdrawal of a stent balloon that failed to deflate

Background In current percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) practice, the balloon used in the procedure should be deflated a short time after balloon dilation to avoid having prolonged balloon dilation in the coronary artery, which would block the coronary artery and cause myocardial ischemia. It is very rare for a dilated stent balloon to fail to deflate. Case summary A 44-year-old male was admitted to the hospital due to chest pain after exercise. Coronary angiography showed severe proximal stenosis of the right coronary artery (RCA) consistent with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease, and coronary stent implantation was required. After the last stent balloon was dilated, the stent balloon could not be deflated and continued to expand, resulting in blockage of the RCA blood flow. The patient then suffered decreased blood pressure and heart rate. Finally, the stent balloon in its expanded state was forcefully and directly withdrawn from the RCA and successfully removed from the body. Conclusion Deflation failure of a stent balloon is an extremely rare complication of PCI. Various treatment strategies can be considered based on hemodynamic status. In the case described herein, the balloon was pulled out of the RCA directly to restore blood flow, which kept the patient safe.