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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 The radial approach is more common in Canada, Europe and southeast Asia than in the United States, Rao said, although statistics on its use are not generally available. "Traditionally, that has been the way our people do it," he said of the groin method.
There are several reasons why the wrist method is not popular in the United States, said Dr. Howard A. Cohen, director of cardiovascular intervention at the Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Center in New York, who uses it for most angioplasties.
"Generally, it hasn't been taught here," Cohen said. "There is a steep learning curve. You need 100 to 200 cases to feel confident with the technique. It takes a couple of years in a practice with a high volume. Also, it is technically more difficult in terms of the whole operation."
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Safety is the main reason for using the wrist approach, Cohen said. "Also, it is much preferred by patients," he said. "It doesn't prolong the period of bed rest they need."
Another possible reason why the radial approach is not widely used in the United States is that the companies which sell equipment for angioplasties tend to emphasize the groin method, Rao said.
The radial approach "doesn't appear on their radar screen," Rao said. "They have equipment for the radial approach, but they just don't push it. Now that this study has been published, there might be an incentive to do it."
More information
Angioplasty is explained by the U.S. Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
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