Brachial artery injury after cardiac catheterization.

During a 3-year period, 12,158 cardiac catheterizations were performed via the brachial artery. During this same period, 106 patients were operated on for complications of brachial artery injury and/or thrombosis, an incidence of 0.9%. The indication for the cardiac catheterization was coronary artery disease in almost 92% of the patients. Early (less than 4 days) brachial artery repair was done in 90% of the patients. The operative findings were thrombosis (91%), intimal injury (54%), stenosis (13%), laceration and/or perforation (11%), and atherosclerotic plaque (6%). Because of vessel injury, localized resection was done in two thirds of the patients. Vascular continuity was obtained with axial reanastomosis in 45 patients and interposition vein graft in 26 patients. Primary lateral repair was performed in 23 patients (22%). Ninety-five percent (101 patients) had initial excellent results. Of the five patients who required reoperation, flow was restored in four patients. Thus, 99% of patients had restoration of a patent brachial artery. Contributing factors for brachial artery complications are "redo" catheterization, prolonged catheterization time, catheter change, brachial artery atherosclerosis, improper arteriotomy closure, experience of cardiologist, female patient, and failure to use heparin. Because of the unpredictability of ischemic symptoms occurring after brachial artery thrombosis, the need for bypass graft surgery when delayed, and the good results with early surgical intervention, early exploration of brachial artery complications after cardiac catheterization and appropriate repair are recommended.