An over-the-wire balloon technique requires which feature?

• A. Two person operation
• B. Exchange length guide wire (300 cm)
• C. Guidewire 190 cm
• D. Rapid inflation to nominal pressure

Answer: (B)

The key feature of the over-the-wire balloon technique is using an exchange-length guidewire that runs through the catheter and out of the patient, allowing the catheter to be exchanged over the same wire without losing arterial access. This requires a long wire, typically around 300 cm, so the wire can stay in place while the catheter is removed and a new one is advanced. A standard shorter wire (about 190 cm) is designed for rapid-exchange systems, not for the traditional over-the-wire method. The need for a long exchange wire, not the length of the wire or the number of operators, is what distinguishes this technique. Rapid inflation to nominal pressure is a general balloon inflation step and does not define the over-the-wire approach.