Both physicians and patients are exposed to higher radiation doses during radial access PCI compared to femoral, according to this large contemporary study on high volume PCI operators of ACS patients. Even though the difference in radiation exposure was relatively small for patients (approximately 10% higher for radial PCI) this translated into double the…
Right vs. Left Transradial Access for Coronary Procedures
Courtesy of Dr. Guillermo Migliaro. Coronary angiography and angioplasty via transradial approach are associated with a significant reduction in access site complications, compared with transfemoral and transbrachial access. Moreover, a significant reduction in mortality has been reported for procedures performed via transradial approach vs. transfemoral approach in primary angioplasty. There is a limited number…
How to Make Radial Access Even Safer with Minimum Effort
Courtesy of Dr. Agustín Vecchia. Since 1990, radial access has progressively gained ground, currently becoming the default technique in most endovascular intervention centers. One of its few associated complications is radial artery occlusion. While most frequently clinically silent and non-serious, this complication could hinder the performance of future procedures in the patient and, in some…
Increase in Femoral Access Complications in the Transradial Era
Original Title: The Benefits Conferred by Radial Access for Cardiac Catheterization Are Offset by a Paradoxical Increase in the Rate of Vascular Access Site Complications with Femoral Access: The Campeau Radial Paradox. Reference: Lorenzo Azzalini et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv. 2015, ONLINE FIRST. The aim of this study was to assess whether the benefit of the radial access…