Short and long-term outcomes of alcohol septal ablation with the trans-radial versus the trans-femoral approach: A single center-experience.

Background: Although the trans-radial approach (TR) has been applied to various subsets of patients in percutaneous coronary intervention, the feasibility, efficacy, acute procedural and long-term outcomes of TR versus trans-femoral approach (TF) for alcohol septal ablation (ASA) have not yet been determined.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the short and long-term outcomes of ASA with the TR approach compared to the TF approach.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 240 patients who underwent an ASA procedure at our institution from November 1999 to November 2015. The TR approach was performed in 172 cases and the TF approach in the remaining 68 cases.

Results: The use of TR approach progressively increased from 62% in 1999-2005 to 91% in 2011-2015 (p=0.0001). The TF and TR group had similar age, baseline NYHA class (NYHA 3 or 4) and mean left ventricular outflow tract peak gradient before ASA. Total contrast used (TR: 73.2±47.2ml; TF: 88.7±49.3ml, p=0.11), total radiation Air kerma area product (TR: 43.7±48.0Gycm(-2); TF: 55.9±48.2Gycm(-2); p=0.39) and peak left ventricular outflow tract gradient immediately after ASA (TR: 19.1±19.6mmHg; TF: 20.4±18.0mmHg, p=0.63) were similar in both groups. Procedural success was 91.9% and 91.2% in the TR and TF groups, respectively (p=0.53). At 30days, there was 2 intra-hospital death (1 in TF and 1 in TR), 1 major stroke in the TF group and 1 coronary artery dissection in the TR group. Vascular complications were less frequent in the TR group (0.58% vs. 7.3%; p=0.002). The mean length of follow-up was 4.56±4.34years (IQR 0.69-8.2; median 2.92years; maximum: 15.5years). By Kaplan-Meier estimate, the observed survival in the overall cohort was comparable to the expected survival for a sex and age-matched comparable general French population at 10years (86.9 vs. 83.6%, p=0.88). Survival was similar between the TR and TF group (92.1% vs. 89.7% at 6years, respectively; p=0.71).

Conclusions: Alcohol septal ablation from the radial approach can be performed with similar acute and long-term success, but with lower vascular complications compared to the femoral approach.