Fashioning the tip of the hydrophilic polymer coated guidewire

A hydrophilic polymer coated guidewire has recently come into use for negotiating strictures and occlusions in the vascular, biliary and urinary systems. Attempts to alter the tip configuration of the wire, using methods employed with prior stainless steel guides, has proven unsuccessful. Tying the Terumo wire into a knot, for a few seconds, will give a gentle 45°-60° curve 1 cm fromtip. Lengthening the time of knotting will increase the degree of curvature. This simple technique provides a method for increasing the utility of this guidewire.