[Peripheral arterial complications of various catheter angiography methods]

Between 1980 and 1988 12,251 arterial punctures for cardiac catheterization (CC), percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), or pure diagnostic intraarterial angiography (IAA) have been performed in our clinics. 54 (0.44%), 39 (0.63%, CC), 12 (0.67%, PTA), 3 (0.07%, IAA) patients suffered from a complication at the site of the arterial puncture necessitating surgical correction. Adults developed false aneurysms or large hematomas whereas children tended to show thrombotic arterial occlusions. Generally the surgical procedures of these complications proved to be quite simple (over two thirds) but some, especially in children, turned out to be more difficult. 3 arterial spasms in children and 1 prolonged wound healing in the groin, all without long-term sequelae and 1 severe graft infection necessitating ligation of the common femoral artery with severe ischemic signs for several months were the only complications of our corrective surgical procedures. We therefore plead for these iatrogenic complications of arterial puncture for an early correction performed by a surgeon with at least some experience in vascular surgery.