Radial artery cannulation--the influence of method on blood flow after decannulation.

A prospective randomised study of two hundred patients undergoing open-heart surgery was carried out to determine if the method of radial artery cannulation (direct threading or transfixion) had any influence on the incidence of abnormal flow after decannulation. A standard 20-gauge non-tapered teflon-coated cannula was used and the groups were well matched for age, sex, wrist circumference, duration of cannulation and haematoma formation, all of which have been postulated to influence thrombosis rate. We were unable to demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the two methods of cannulation. The overall abnormal flow rate at five days assessed by Doppler ultrasound was low at 5%.