Transradial Secondary Arterial Access for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: Experience and Limitations

The transradial approach limits vascular complications in coronary interventions. The same may be true for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We present our experience using secondary transradial arterial access.

Secondary transradial arterial access has been our default strategy for TAVI since 2007. Procedural data is collected prospectively. We assessed procedural success and complications.

Data from 282 patients aged 81±5.2 yrs was examined. Secondary arterial access was transradial (74%), femoral (24%) and none (2%). Secondary femoral access was reserved for failed radial access (3%), anatomical anomalies (4%), operator preference (7%), trial requirements (6%) or proctor preference (4%). The principal pathology was aortic stenosis (90.8%), aortic regurgitation (6.7%) or a combination (2.5%). CoreValve (91.4%), Edwards (7%) or Lotus valves (1.7%) were delivered via transfemoral (88.6%), direct aortic (5.3%), subclavian (3.9%) or transapical approaches (1.8%). Significant vascular complications occurred in 25 cases (9.4%), including surgical repair of a failed percutaneous closure device (n=16), ilio-femoral dissection (n=3), iliac perforations (n=3), plaque disruption (n=1) and false aneurysm (n=2), one of which was from the secondary femoral access site. There was no local vascular complication from the secondary radial site.

The transradial secondary access route for TAVI is safe and effective. The transradial route may limit vascular access complications from secondary transfemoral access.