Femoral access in 100 consecutive subarachnoid hemorrhage patients: the "craniotomy" of endovascular neurosurgery

The records of a prospective single-center aneurysm database were reviewed to identify 100 consecutive SAH patients. Using an oblique femoral arteriogram, the presence of significant atherosclerosis, iliac tortuosity, and the CFA bifurcation were assessed. The CFA bifurcation was graded according to its position with respect to the femoral head: below (grade 1), lower half (grade 2), and above the upper half (grade 3).We found a CFA bifurcation grade 1 in 50 patients (50%, mean age 51.2 years), grade 2 in 40 patients (40%, mean age 55.5 years), and grade 3 in 10 patients (10%, mean age 58.2 years). Whereas 30 of 90 patients with CFA grades I or II were male (33%), only 10% with grade 3 were male (1 of 10, p = 0.12). Mean age for significant atherosclerosis was 65.5 +/- 2.6 years versus 50.9 +/- 1.6 years (p < 0.001) without, and iliac tortuosity was 64.9 +/- 2.4 years versus 50.3 +/- 1.6 years (p < 0.001) without.Although a requisite element of endovascular treatment in SAH patients, femoral access can be complicated by a high common femoral artery bifurcation and the presence of atherosclerotic disease and/or iliac artery tortuosity. In this study, we found a grade 3 (above the femoral head) CFA bifurcation in 10% patients, with 90% of these patients being female. We also found the presence of atherosclerotic disease and iliac tortuosity to be significantly more likely in patients older than 65 years of age.Femoral access is a fundamental element of catheter-based cerebral angiography and neurointerventional procedures. The femoral artery is most commonly used for arterial access. The common femoral artery (CFA) is the continuation of the external iliac artery from the level of the inguinal ligament to its bifurcation into the profunda femoris (deep femoral artery) and the superficial femoral artery. The CFA is considered to be the safest site for arterial puncture however there is little published data relating the CFA and its bifurcation to the landmarks typicall