Safety of cardiac catheterization via peripheral vascular grafts.

Abstract

There are few data concerning the complications and technical difficulties encountered when cardiac catheterization is performed using peripheral bypass grafts for vascular access. All cardiac catheterizations performed at our institution from January 1, 1984 to April 1, 1991 were retrospectively reviewed to assess the in-hospital clinical outcomes in patients who had arterial access for catheterization achieved via prosthetic graft puncture. Seventeen procedures had percutaneous puncture of a vascular graft from a total of 2,929 arterial catheterizations performed. The interval from graft placement to catheterization was 7.5 +/- 1.1 years. Arterial sheaths were employed in all cases and corresponded to the catheter size, with 5F systems used in 53% and 7F or larger systems used in the remaining patients. No intraprocedural or postprocedural complications were recognized. Technical difficulties were limited to the inability to selectively cannulate a nondominant right coronary artery in 1 patient. We conclude that percutaneous introduction of an arterial sheath and left heart catheterization via remotely implanted vascular bypass grafts is not associated with an increased risk of procedural complications or technical difficulties.