The advantages of transradial vascular access in epistaxis embolization

Abstract

Treatment of patients with severe or recurrent epistaxis that is refractory to therapy is an important and relevant problem of the present-day medicine. One of the most advanced methods of this pathology treatment is endovascular embolization procedure which is usually performed through transfemoral access. Transradial vascular access has a lot advantages over the transfemoral one. The authors provided a randomized study, comparing transradial and transfemoral approaches during epistaxis embolization. Transradial access group included 12 patients, and transfemoral access group – 13 patients. The success of the procedure was 100% in both groups. The total duration of the procedure, the time needed for bleeding point catheterization, the radiation exposure and the rate of complications were comparable between the two groups. The use of the transradial access was accompanied with significant reduction of the frequency and severity of the discomfort associated with the procedure.