The transradial approach is being increasingly adopted as preferred access site, since it is more comfortable for patients, reduces vascular and bleeding complications, is cost effective and reduces mortality in high risk patients. This has created concern about the fact that operators and institutions could become unfamiliar with the transfemoral approach.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the shift in favor of the transradial approach in everyday practice could negatively impact femoral approached PCI.

A retrospective analyzis of 235,250 transfemoral PCI patients was carried out in 92 UK centers between 2007 and 2013.  Researchers evaluated in-hospital vascular complications and mortality rates at 30 days.

After adjusting for multiple variables, no independent association was found between 30 day mortality and patients intervened via radial/femoral approach in each center, and similarly, femoral procedure volume was not found to be significant.

In-hospital vascular complications rate was 1%, and was not associated with the proportion of patients intervened via radial/femoral approach in each center.

Conclusion

Radial artery as chosen access site was not associated with loss of femoral artery proficiency or increased femoral artery puncture complications.

Original Title: Increased Radial Access Is Not Associated With Worse Femoral Outcomes for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the United Kingdom.

Reference: Hulme W et al. Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 2017 Feb;10(2):e004279.

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