PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of transient femoral nerve anesthesia following transfemoral angiographic procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-eight patients undergoing a variety of routine transfemoral procedures underwent a neurologic assessment within an hour of the procedure. RESULTS: Nine patients (16%) were found to have complete or partial deficits in the ipsilateral femoral nerve territory. All deficits were transient. CONCLUSIONS: Transient femoral nerve deficits are not uncommon following transfemoral procedures. With the advent of true outpatient vascular procedures (where the patient may walk away after only a 30-minutes recovery period following a transvenous intervention or after 60 minutes following arteriography), transient neurologic problems related to the infiltration of local anesthetic around the femoral artery assume real clinical importance.
PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of transient femoral nerve anesthesia following transfemoral angiographic procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-eight patients undergoing a variety of routine transfemoral procedures underwent a neurologic assessment within an hour of the procedure. RESULTS: Nine patients (16%) were found to have complete or partial deficits in the ipsilateral femoral nerve territory. All deficits were transient. CONCLUSIONS: Transient femoral nerve deficits are not uncommon following transfemoral procedures. With the advent of true outpatient vascular procedures (where the patient may walk away after only a 30-minutes recovery period following a transvenous intervention or after 60 minutes following arteriography), transient neurologic problems related to the infiltration of local anesthetic around the femoral artery assume real clinical importance.