A medical catching-wire instrument has a catching-wire basket designed to be axially movable relative to an instrument tube between an unfolded state, in which the basket is moved distally forward out of the instrument tube, and a folded state, in which the basket is moved proximally rearward into the instrument tube. A control tube can be received in the instrument tube and is axially movable relative to the latter. The control tube is coupled in a distal end area to a proximal end area of the basket. The catching-wire basket has a distal enclosing portion which is more close-meshed than a proximally adjoining portion, and/or the basket has a proximal expanding portion which is more close-meshed than a distally adjoining portion, and/or the basket is constructed from wire segments which are substantially rectangular in cross section and which, when the basket is unfolded, extend at least in a basket subregion with a non-tangential broad side of the wire.
