[A new technique for bilateral angiography in a single radial access]

Area of Science:

• Interventional Cardiology
• Vascular Imaging
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Context:

• Coronary heart disease (CHD) patients often present with chronic total occlusions (CTO), posing challenges for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
• Traditional angiography may require multiple access sites, increasing patient discomfort and procedural risks.
• The need for efficient and less invasive diagnostic and interventional techniques in complex coronary anatomy is paramount.

Purpose:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel technique for bilateral angiography performed through a single radial artery access (BASiRalA).
• To assess the feasibility, success rate, and safety of the BASiRalA technique in patients undergoing PCI for CTO.
• To determine if BASiRalA can reduce the number of puncture sites compared to conventional methods.

Summary:

• The BASiRalA technique was developed and applied to 13 patients with CTOs (6 in the right coronary artery, 7 in the left anterior descending artery).
• The procedure involves using microcatheters and guiding catheters via a single right radial artery access to perform contralateral angiography when wire crossing uncertainty arises.
• The technique achieved a success rate of 76.92% (10 out of 13 procedures), with an average procedural time of 7 minutes and no observed complications.

Impact:

• The BASiRalA technique demonstrates feasibility for treating CTO patients, potentially simplifying the PCI procedure.
• Successful implementation can lead to reduced puncture sites, enhancing patient comfort and potentially lowering access-related complications.
• This approach offers a valuable alternative for complex coronary interventions requiring contralateral visualization.