Complications with outpatient angiography and interventional procedures.

PURPOSE

To prospectively identify the complications, and rates of complication, in outpatient angiography and interventional procedures.

METHODS

There were 1050 consecutive patients, 646 men and 404 women, aged 17-89 years, with a total of 1239 procedures studied in a 2-year period, 1997 to 1999.

RESULTS

There were 560 cases of aorto-femoral angiography, resulting in 124 complications (22%), with pain or hematoma in 110. There were 206 cases of neck and cerebral angiography, resulting in 51 complications (25%), with pain and hematoma in 34, transient ischemic attack in 2 and cerebrovascular accident in 1. There were 197 interventional procedures, with 177 being balloon dilatations, resulting in 68 complications (35%), with 2 having hematomas and 1 having hematoma/abscess requiring active treatment. There were 276 cases having various "other" procedures (e.g., renal angiography), resulting in 65 complications (24%), with pain and hematoma in 61. No procedure-related death occurred. Eighteen cases (1.5%) had significant complications, with contrast allergy in eight.

CONCLUSION

Outpatient angiography and intervention are relatively safe, with low significant complication rates.