Short and long-term outcomes of alcohol septal ablation with the trans-radial versus the trans-femoral approach: A single center-experience.

BACKGROUND: Although the trans-radial approach (TR) has been applied to various subsets of patients in percutaneous coronary intervention, the feasibility, efficacy, acute procedural and long-term outcomes of TR versus trans-femoral approach (TF) for alcohol septal ablation (ASA) have not yet been determined. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the short and long-term outcomes of ASA with the TR approach compared to the TF approach. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 240 patients who underwent an ASA procedure at our institution from November 1999 to November 2015. The TR approach was performed in 172 cases and the TF approach in the remaining 68 cases. RESULTS: The use of TR approach progressively increased from 62% in 1999-2005 to 91% in 2011-2015 (p=0.0001). The TF and TR group had similar age, baseline NYHA class (NYHA 3 or 4) and mean left ventricular outflow tract peak gradient before ASA. Total contrast used (TR: 73.2±47.2ml; TF: 88.7±49.3ml, p=0.11), total radiation Air kerma area product (TR: 43.7±48.0Gycm(-2); TF: 55.9±48.2Gycm(-2); p=0.39) and peak left ventricular outflow tract gradient immediately after ASA (TR: 19.1±19.6mmHg; TF: 20.4±18.0mmHg, p=0.63) were similar in both groups. Procedural success was 91.9% and 91.2% in the TR and TF groups, respectively (p=0.53). At 30days, there was 2 intra-hospital death (1 in TF and 1 in TR), 1 major stroke in the TF group and 1 coronary artery dissection in the TR group. Vascular complications were less frequent in the TR group (0.58% vs. 7.3%; p=0.002). The mean length of follow-up was 4.56±4.34years (IQR 0.69-8.2; median 2.92years; maximum: 15.5years). By Kaplan-Meier estimate, the observed survival in the overall cohort was comparable to the expected survival for a sex and age-matched comparable general French population at 10years (86.9 vs. 83.6%, p=0.88). Survival was similar between the TR and TF group (92.1% vs. 89.7% at 6years, respectively; p=0.71). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol septal ablation from the radial approach can be performed with similar acute and long-term success, but with lower vascular complications compared to the femoral approach.

Feasibility and safety of transradial coronary interventions using a 6.5-F sheathless guiding catheter in patients with small radial arteries.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the feasibility and the safety of using a 6.5-French sheathless guide catheter in patients with small radial arteries. BACKGROUND: The small size of radial arteries is a limitation of transradial coronary intervention. A new sheathless guiding catheter with a diameter almost 2-Fr smaller than conventional sheaths and a full-length hydrophilic coating has been introduced. METHODS: A total of 148 patients from three French hospitals were consecutively enrolled from March 2009 to February 2012. They underwent transradial approach (TRA) for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) using the 6.5-F ASAHI sheathless Eaucath guiding catheter system. RESULTS: Among the 148 patients enrolled, 95 were females (64%), and 183 lesions were treated. Procedural success rate was 100%. Thirteen patients (9%) underwent same-procedure multivessel interventions for the right and left coronary artery. Among the group of 46 patients undergoing bifurcation PCI, 35 (76%) bifurcated lesions were treated with a kissing balloon technique, one patient had a saphenous vein bypass graft lesion requiring filter wire placement prior to intervention, nine (6.1%) patients required rotational atherectomy, thrombus-aspiration catheters were used in 19 (12.8%) patients, fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided PCI in 10 (6.7%) patients, alcohol septal ablation in three (2%) patients. Ten (6.7%) cases of chronic total occlusion were successfully treated in nine (6.1%) patients using the hydrophilic catheter. No radial artery site complications was noted. CONCLUSION: The use of sheathless guiding catheters is a safe, effective method for PCI via TRA in small radial arteries without catheter-related complications.