Effect of preinterventional ultrasound examination on frequency of procedure-related vascular complications in percutaneous coronary interventions with transfemoral approach.

Vascular complications are the most frequent adverse events associated with percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality. Puncture of the common femoral artery in its middle segment is proved to decrease the risk of procedure-related vascular complications. Real-time ultrasound-guided puncture of the vessel is effective to decrease access site-related vascular complications but complex to perform. We evaluated whether an ultrasonic preinterventional examination of the femoral puncture site and skin marking of anatomic structures and specific vascular characteristics results in a decrease of access site-related vascular complications in PCIs with transfemoral access. Over a period of 12 months we prospectively examined all puncture sites before elective PCIs with transfemoral access (n = 848) using ultrasound. Presence, extent, and location of plaques and stenoses and exact location of bifurcation of the femoral artery were marked by a sonographer on the skin to guide the interventionists in vascular puncture. Postinterventional access site ultrasound was performed to determine possible access site-related complications. Frequency of vascular access site complications was compared to a control cohort (n = 1,027) that did not undergo ultrasound examination before intervention. With ultrasonic vascular access site management the rate of access site-related vascular complications was decreased from 4.2% to 1.9% (odds ratio 0.44, 0.23 to 0.80, p = 0.005). In conclusion, preinterventional ultrasonic access site examination and skin marking decreases the risk of vascular complications in elective PCI with femoral access.