Complications of lower-extremity outpatient arteriography via low brachial artery

Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2004 Jan-Feb;27(1):31-4. doi: 10.1007/s00270-003-0042-9.

Abstract

We retrospectively evaluated low brachial artery puncture for arteriography and its complications as an alternative approach route for bilateral lower extremity run-off. Using the Seldinger technique and catheterization with a sheathless 4-F multiple side-hole pigtail catheter, we performed 2250 low brachial artery punctures in outpatients. The right brachial artery (RBA) was successfully punctured in 2039 patients; the left brachial artery (LBA) in 200. The transfemoral approach was used in 11 patients when catheterizing either of brachial arteries failed. Ten major or moderate complications (2 pseudoaneurysms, 2 thrombosis, 1 dissection and 5 hematomas) were encountered. Surgical intervention was necessary in three cases. There were no transient ischemic attacks. Twenty-one patients suffered temporary loss of radial pulse which returned spontaneously in less than 1 hour. One patient demonstrated prolonged loss of pulse which required heparin. Low brachial artery puncture and catheterization at the antecubital fossa is a very safe and cost-effective alternative to the femoral artery approach for lower extremity intra-arterial arteriography in the hands of experienced operators. The success rate in catheterizing one of the brachial arteries was 99.52% with a low significant complications rate of 0.44%. The transbrachial approach should be used as a standard method for lower extremity IA-DSA in an outpatient setting.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Ambulatory Care*
  • Aneurysm, False / diagnostic imaging
  • Aneurysm, False / etiology
  • Angiography
  • Brachial Artery / diagnostic imaging
  • Brachial Artery / pathology
  • Catheterization, Peripheral / adverse effects
  • Catheterization, Peripheral / instrumentation
  • Female
  • Femoral Artery / diagnostic imaging
  • Femoral Artery / pathology
  • Humans
  • Lower Extremity / blood supply*
  • Lower Extremity / diagnostic imaging*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Peripheral Vascular Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Peripheral Vascular Diseases / etiology
  • Punctures / adverse effects
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Thrombosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Thrombosis / etiology
  • Treatment Failure