Feasibility and safety of transradial approach for catheter ablation of idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia

The feasibility and safety of the transradial approach for catheter ablation of idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia (ILVT) have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and safety of transradial approach for catheter ablation in ILVT patients. Thirty consecutive ILVT patients with negative Allen's test undergoing catheter ablation via transradial approach were enrolled to compare the safety and efficacy with 30 other ILVT patients who previously underwent catheter ablation via transfemoral approach. Ablation was successfully performed in all patients. In the transradial group, the total procedural and the fluoroscopy time (42.8 +/- A 6.9 min and 9.7 +/- A 1.9 min, respectively) were significantly shorter when compared with transfemoral group (52.8 +/- A 8.4 min and 11.5 +/- A 2.1 min, respectively) (both P < 0.05). The two groups were similar in the number of current applications (4.1 +/- A 0.8 vs. 4.4 +/- A 1.1, P > 0.05), the power energy (47.3 +/- A 7.3 vs. 49.7 +/- A 6.9 W, P > 0.05), and the total duration of current application (110.3 +/- A 15.6 vs. 112.3 +/- A 16.5 s, P > 0.05), respectively. The duration of hospitalization in transradial group was shorter than that in transfemoral group (4.1 +/- A 0.9 vs. 5.8 +/- A 1.1 days, P < 0.05). During follow-up, there was no recurrence of tachycardia in all patients. One patient in transfemoral group developed access site complications while none occurred in the transradial group. The transradial approach is feasible and safe for catheter ablation of ILVT.