Distal radial access and postprocedural ultrasound evaluation of proximal and distal radial artery

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Interventional Cardiology
• Vascular Imaging

Background:

• Transradial access is a common approach for cardiac catheterization.
• Distal radial artery (DRA) access offers potential advantages but requires evaluation for safety and efficacy.
• Radial artery occlusion (RAO) is a known complication of transradial procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the patency of both proximal and distal radial arteries following coronary procedures performed via DRA.
• To evaluate the incidence of radial artery occlusion (RAO) after distal radial access (dTRA).
• To compare radial artery diameter at conventional and distal puncture sites.

Main Methods:

• Ultrasound (US) was employed as the primary diagnostic tool for RAO.
• 115 patients undergoing catheterization via dTRA were evaluated.
• Arterial patency and diameter were assessed post-procedure at conventional transradial access (cTRA) and distal puncture sites.

Main Results:

• No instances of proximal or distal radial artery occlusion (RAO) were detected.
• No significant procedural complications were reported.
• The mean radial artery diameter was smaller at the distal puncture site (2.31 ± 0.47 mm) compared to the conventional site (2.86 ± 0.49 mm).
• Postprocedural compression time for dTRA was notably short.

Conclusions:

• Distal radial access (DRA) is associated with the absence of early arterial occlusion.
• DRA demonstrates a favorable safety profile, with no significant local bleeding or other complications.
• The technique appears to effectively preserve radial artery patency.