Surgical therapy of femoral artery pseudoaneurysm after angiography.

Seventy patients requiring surgical treatment for femoral artery pseudoaneurysm after angiographic procedures have been presented. The 10 year study period encompassed 38,822 catheter procedures (31,951 cardiology procedures and 6,871 radiology procedures) performed through the femoral artery. Presenting complaints included pain (51 percent) and neuropathy (19 percent). Additional morbidity has been discussed. The present study differs from previous ones in that many of the patients had femoral artery pseudoaneurysm formation in the common femoral artery without a history of smoking, diabetes, or hypertension. There was no demonstrable association with anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy. The incidence of femoral artery pseudoaneurysm did increase with the use of a catheter sheath from 0.06 to 0.3 percent (p less than 0.005). This has not been reported previously. Direct arterial repair was utilized in 63 patients, whereas arterial reconstruction was required in 7 patients (saphenous vein graft in 4 and prosthetic graft in 3). There was one wound complication but no mortality associated with the surgical repair. Acceptable reasons for repair of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms are persisting or enlarging femoral artery pseudoaneurysms, associated pain or neuropathy, and rupture of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms.