Arterial access for cardiac procedures

The progression and expansion of treatments available for patients with cardiovascular disease depends on reliable, safe and effective arterial access. Owing to the superficial nature of the radial artery, major complications relating to cannulation occur less frequently and are simpler to manage. Therefore, radial access has become the favoured access site for angiography and angioplasty in many centres. However, maintenance of femoral access skills will always be a requirement, particularly in radial failure and in the growing field of structural intervention. Despite dramatic improvements in technique and equipment, large-calibre vascular access (usually femoral) remains an absolute requirement.