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Wrist
insertion
site
Radial
artery
Brachial
artery
Aorta
Traditional
incision
site
Femoral
artery
Heart
I
Should bleeding occur, it is apparent;
following a femoral artery procedure,
there is the possibility of internal
bleeding, which is more difficult to
detect.
“Patients have less bruising, recover
faster and can drive the next day,” he said.
Not all patients are able to have the
radial procedure.
“We do an exam to be certain it is
appropriate for the patient,” said
Dr. Alqaisi. “The hand has two arteries
that supply it blood. It is important
that both of those are functioning. In
addition, the radial artery is smaller, and
not all devices that we use in certain
procedures will fit through this smaller
artery. It is a complicated procedure, so
we seriously consider which is better for
each patient.”
The radial procedure at Kadlec is
Another option for a cardiac catheterization
currently used for elective procedures,
not emergency. “Time is essential in
these cases, and there is no time for
delay. When there is an emergency, we
do the procedure through the femoral
artery,” he said.
Because of the precision and
state-of-the-art technology required
in performing the radial procedure,
additional training is required for
physicians and the medical staff
assisting with the procedure. In
addition to Dr. Alqaisi, the three
other interventional cardiologists on
the Kadlec medical staff capable of
performing the procedure are Iyad
Jamali, MD; Christopher Ravage, MD;
and Saad Tabbara, MD.
“I have patients who have had both
types and most say they prefer the radial
cath,” said Dr. Alqaisi.
IMAGINE how revolutionary it was
in the 1950s to suggest threading a thin
tube through a patient’s artery toward
the heart to clear blockages, deliver
medicine or position a stent. Since
that time, millions of patients have
successfully undergone the procedure,
called cardiac catheterization, to
diagnose and treat heart disease.
The procedure has been available at
Kadlec since 2001, the only hospital in
the region offering it.
For years, the site traditionally
used as the entry point for a catheter
tube during a cardiac catheterization
procedure has been the femoral artery
in the leg. More recently, some medical
centers, including Kadlec, began offering
a new access point, the radial artery in
the wrist.
“Using the femoral artery can be
challenging for some patients,” said
Kadlec interventional cardiologist Fadi
Alqaisi, MD.“It can be difficult to access,
particularly in an overweight person.
Stopping the bleeding at the needle entry
site requires heavy pressure and patients
must remain in the hospital, lying
quietly for as long as six hours, which
for someone with back problems can be
difficult.”
In contrast, said Dr. Alqaisi, the
radial artery is easier to access, the
patient can sit up immediately after
the procedure and a band similar to
a wristwatch is used to put pressure
on the entry site to stop the bleeding.
From your wrist
to your
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