Routine femoral head fluoroscopy to reduce complications in coronary catheterization.

We tested whether routine preprocedure fluoroscopy of the femoral head would improve sheath placement or reduce the incidence of groin complications. Patients were randomized to receive either fluoroscopy or "blind" sheath placement using palpation alone. The location of the femoral sheath was established by femoral artery angiography. Sheath placement in relation to the femoral head, arterial location, and complication rates were compared. Placement was considered "ideal" if the sheath was in the common femoral artery and in the top or middle third of the femoral head. A total of 256 patients were enrolled. There was no difference in average age, body mass index (BMI), or rate of anticoagulation between the groups. There was no major bleeding in either group. The overall risk of minor bleeding was not statistically different. The treatment group showed higher "ideal" placement relative to the femoral head. In patients who had a BMI ≥30 kg/m(2), the difference between the groups was statistically significant (treatment 69% vs control 50%). In conclusion, routine femoral fluoroscopy prior to sheath placement in coronary angiography and angioplasty did not significantly alter bleeding or complication rates but did increase the likelihood of ideal placement, especially in obese patients.