Combining transradial access and sheathless femoral access for complex iliac artery chronic total occlusions

Background The transradial approach (TRA) is associated with fewer serious access site-related complications compared with the transfemoral or transbrachial approach. However, TRA has associated problems in complex aortoiliac (AI) lesions, including the procedural difficulty. A bidirectional approach was used combining TRA with a sheathless technique for femoral artery (FA) puncture to treat complex AI lesions, as a minimally-invasive approach. This report describes a representative cases with AI chronic total occlusion in which the combination of TRA and a sheathless technique for FA puncture was useful for guidewire crossing. Case presentation Case 1 was a 71-year-old man with intermittent claudication (IC). Control angiography showed total occlusion of the left common iliac artery (CIA) ostium to the distal external iliac artery (EIA). Guidewire externalization was achieved by combining TRA using a 6Fr guiding sheath and a sheathless technique for the left FA. Two nitinol stents were deployed in the CIA to EIA. Case 2 was a 63-year-old man with IC. Control angiography revealed total occlusion of the right CIA ostium to the common femoral artery (CFA) with severe calcification. The antegrade wire could not pass through the CTO lesion because of the calcified CFA occlusion. A 21-G metal needle was used to penetrate the CFA calcification through the distal true lumen of the CFA, and the wire was inserted into the EIA for wire externalization. Three nitinol stents were deployed in the CIA to EIA, and a drug-coated balloon was dilated in the CFA with hemostasis of the distal puncture site. In both cases, the retrograde puncture site was hemostatic during the procedure and postoperative bed rest was not required. Conclusions TRA combined with a sheathless technique from the FA has the potential to treat AI complex lesions in a less invasive manner.