Why do our doctors prefer a through-the-wrist procedure for diagnostic and interventional catheterization procedures? Entry through a small artery in the wrist is less intrusive and less risky than the traditional entry point in the groin.
Via the wrist, patients can move around or eat immediately after the procedure. They also leave the hospital sooner.
Via the femoral artery (groin), patients must lie down for up to six hours to prevent bleeding. Cardiac catheterization through the femoral artery, though considered safe, still presents some risk because of the artery’s proximity to the abdominal cavity. A femoral artery puncture could produce extensive bleeding into the retroperitoneal cavity, behind the abdomen. Meanwhile, it takes only modest compression with a finger to stop blood loss from the radial (wrist) artery.
The Heart & Vascular Difference: Up to 70 percent of all procedures in the cardiac catheterization lab at Hartford Hospital use this radial artery technique. This is an uncommonly high rate among regional labs.