In three patients a stiff guide wire (patient # 1, .014-inch PT2-wire, Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA, USA, ; patients # 3 and # 5, .035-inch Amplatz Guidewire, Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA, USA, ) was placed in the portal vein as a lock wire in order to enable reinsertion of the sheath into the puncture tract in case ....