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If you asked Mark Hobson to compare the 2 cardiac catheterizations that he’s had, he wouldn’t hesitate to state that they preferred. Hobson sought strategy to chest pains.
“The second one was so much better-by a long-shot,” says Hobson, a 53-year-old public safety officer at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill, with a history of cardiovascular disease.
What was the difference? The very first procedure ended through his femoral artery-the method that can be used in the majority of heart catheterizations in the U.S.
“For the 2nd heart cath, they went in through the artery within my wrist,” says Hobson, showing a tiny scar concerning the size of a pea. “Was easier, far more comfortable and that i was up and back at work faster. I left with a little bandage on my wrist, and that maybe it was. I couldn’t believe the main difference.”
Mark Hobson
According towards the American Heart Association (AHA), cardiac catheterizations remain one of the most common invasive procedures performed within this country, with an estimated 2.7 million Americans undergoing the process every year.
In the U.S., 95 % of cardiac catheterizations are carried out through the femoral artery, while under 4 % are carried out through the artery in the wrist, based on the AHA.
During a cardiac catheterization, small tubes are inserted into the circulatory system through either the femoral or radial (wrist) arteries to get details about blood flow and pressures inside the heart. It can also determine if you will find obstructions within the coronary arteries that feed the heart muscle. Often, cardiologists performing the procedure will insert stents to spread out up an artery and help restore blood circulation.
Dr. Timothy Alikakos, an interventional cardiologist at Condell Medical Center who performed the process on Hobson, says, “When you go in through the femoral artery within the groin, there’s greater risk of bleeding, and also the patient must remain prone much longer following the procedure. When you go in through the artery within the wrist, there’s virtually no bleeding risk, the individual can walk around after the sedative for the procedure has worn off and it is much more comfortable for that patient.”
Dr. Alikakos says that because there are so many benefits of a radial catheterization over the traditional method, people may wonder why more cardiologists aren’t performing them.
“In Europe most catheterizations are performed with the radial artery,” says Dr. Alikakos. “We tend to be slower on uptake for a number of reasons. Many cardiologists aren’t trained to go through the radial artery. And, the process is more technically challenging-the radial artery has a smaller footprint than the femoral artery, and for many years the equipment to fit that artery hasn’t been available here.”
Radial catheterization isn’t right for all patients, however, he states. “If the patient has a complex condition that would require utilizing a larger catheter, then the femoral artery approach is much more appropriate,” says Dr. Alikakos. “Patients must also have good blood supply towards the wrists via both the radial and ulnar arteries.”
Hobson is thankful that he had his procedure done this way. “Psychologically, the difference was huge before the procedure. Lying on the table with my arm out versus going through the femoral artery helped me feel, mentally, at ease with the procedure, as well.”
