Headway™ Microcatheter Family: Complete Guide to MicroVention’s Four Intracranial Microcatheters

The Headway™ family is MicroVention Terumo’s complete intracranial microcatheter range, providing the working channel for virtually every endovascular neurovascular procedure. Unlike non-braided microcatheters, Headway devices use a stainless steel braid embedded in the shaft to provide 1:1 torque response and pushability while maintaining the flexibility and soft tip required for safe intracranial navigation. All four models accept 0.014 in guidewires including CHIKAI, Gladius MG, and Traxcess 14.

The four models are named by inner diameter: Headway DUO (0.0165 in, MC165150), Headway 17 Advanced (0.017 in, MC172150S soft / MC172150SX standard), Headway 21 (0.021 in, MC212156S), and Headway 27 (0.027 in, MC272156S). Working lengths are 150 cm for DUO/17 and 156 cm for 21/27.

Headway DUO: PHIL liquid embolic delivery (dual marker system confirms tip position relative to nidal target); also small coils in AVM/DAVF. Headway 17 Advanced: the workhorse — all intracranial aneurysm coiling, LVIS Jr, FRED Jr, ERIC thrombectomy, all standard coil delivery. Headway 21: LVIS and LVIS EVO stent delivery, FRED Jr in select configurations. Headway 27: FRED and FRED X System 27 flow diverter delivery, WEB SL/SLS via VIA catheters, Scepter C and XC balloon microcatheters.

Soft tip vs. standard tip in Headway 17: the soft tip (MC172150S) is preferred for distal or tortuous access where vessel contact during navigation must be minimised; the standard tip (MC172150SX) provides higher column strength for pushier coil delivery in difficult-to-fill large aneurysms.

All four Headway models are available in straight (0°), 45°, 90°, and J-curve tip configurations. The 45° tip is the most versatile for moderately angled bifurcation access. The 90° tip is used for ophthalmic-type ICA origins and PICA access from the V4 vertebral artery. The J-curve provides a rounded deflecting tip useful for basilar tip access via the posterior communicating artery approach. The straight tip is appropriate when the microcatheter is to be advanced into the aneurysm dome directly without a bifurcation to negotiate.

Steam-shape additional curve modifications using the included mandrel. A 45° tip steam-shaped to 60–70° often provides better access than the factory 90° tip in certain anatomies, as the operator can customise the exact angle rather than relying on the fixed factory configuration.

The Headway braid provides rotational torque response that non-braided alternatives (Echelon 10, Rebar 18) cannot match. This torque response allows deliberate directional steering at vessel bifurcations by hub rotation, rather than relying purely on tip shape deflection against the vessel wall. Operators transitioning from non-braided microcatheters report that the Headway’s torque behaviour significantly improves selective vessel entry in complex anatomy.

The braid also provides better column strength under compression, improving pushability in long tortuous access routes compared to non-braided microcatheters that tend to buckle rather than transmit push force to the tip.

Modern Medical Solutions is the authorised MicroVention Terumo distributor for Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The complete Headway family catalog is available for neurointerventional programmes in Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Recommended minimum stock for an active program: Headway 17 Advanced (soft and standard, straight and 45°), Headway 21 (straight and 45°), Headway 27 (straight), plus DUO for PHIL-capable programs.

Contact Modern Medical Solutions for a full Headway family comparison, availability confirmation, and access to MicroVention Terumo training resources for new Headway users.