[Femoral vascular complications after percutaneous coronary interventions]

We aimed to investigate peripheral vascular complications and their relation with treatment and clinical parameters in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) patients.

We included into the study 321 patients (aged 57+/-11 years) underwent PTCA between November 2001-August 2002. The age, gender, glycoprotein 2b/3a use, thrombolytic use, intraaortic balloon treatment, transient pacemaker treatment, reintervention history, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, family history and the correlations of these parameters with local vascular complications were assessed in all patients.

Pseudoaneurysm incidence was significantly correlated with; age [(n=13, 68.0%) p=0.0001, OR 8.38], female gender [(n=12, 63.1%) p<0.015, OR 0.32], reintervention [(n=10, 52.1%) p<0.004, OR 3.6], venous sheath usage [(n=12, 63%) p<0.0001, OR 9.07], thrombolytic treatment [(n=5, 26.3%) p<0.0001, OR 7.9], and intraaortic balloon adjustment [(n=6, 31.5%) p<0.0001, OR 7.2]. No correlation was found between pseudoaneurysm incidence and glycoprotein 2b/3a treatment, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and family history.

The present study showed that patients of female gender, with reintervention, thrombolytic treatment, venous sheath use and intraaortic balloon adjustment are at high risk for serious femoral vascular complications, especially when they are aged. Additionally, glycoprotein 2b/3a agents can be used without increased risk of peripheral vascular complications.