• Aneurysm
• Catheter
• Technique

We read with great interest the article recently published by Parry et al1 entitled “Solitaire salvage: a stent retriever-assisted catheter reduction technical report”. This paper describes, through three embolization cases, a technique that allows a microcatheter to be anchored distally with a Solitaire FR device (eV3/Covidien, Irvine, California, USA) in order to straighten a looped microcatheter. Indeed, in some anatomical configurations, especially in giant and large aneurysms of the internal carotid artery (ICA), a loop inside the aneurysm sac is needed to catheterize the distal aspect of the parent artery. A distal anchor is then sometimes necessary to provide support for unlooping the microcatheter. Compared with other anchoring techniques previously described—such as a balloon catheter,2 a partially deployed intracranial stent (Enterprise stent; Codman Neurovascular, Raynham, Massachusetts, USA),3 or a deployed coil4—the use of a Solitaire FR device offers the advantage of keeping the distal artery opened and avoiding the possible inopportune release of the stent (the Solitaire FR device being attached to the pusher wire).

We congratulate the authors …