Radial Access for Neurovascular Procedures

Radial access is increasingly being considered in neurovascular procedures after becoming the standard access route in percutaneous cardiovascular interventions. Current barriers include a lack of dedicated equipment for radial to neurovascular target vessels, lack of training for physicians and fellows, and physician bias toward femoral access secondary to greater experience and familiarity. Radial access has been proven to be safer and the preferred access route by most patients. These two factors make radial access inevitability when the aforementioned barriers are overcome. The purpose of this brief article is to highlight some important considerations of radial access specific to the neurovasculature.