ULTRASOUND-GUIDED COMPRESSION THERAPY IN 134 PATIENTS WITH IATROGENICPSEUDOANEURYSMS - ADVANTAGE OF ROUTINE DUPLEX ULTRASOUND CONTROL OF THE PUNCTURE SITE FOLLOWING TRANSFEMORAL CATHETERIZATION

Background: The following study was designed to evaluate the effective ness and safety of ultrasound guided compression therapy (UGCT) of iat rogenic postcatheterization pseudo-aneurysms (PA) on the one hand and to justify the usefulness of the routine colour duplex control of the puncture site following transfemoral catheterization, on the other han d. Material and Methods: During the study period 142 patients with (PA ) following transfemoral catheterization were identified by means of c olour duplex examination. Eights of these 142 patients were identified during a routine colour duplex control of the puncture site the day a fter PTA/angiography because of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) [group A]; the remaining 62 patients with symptomatic groins we re referred from other departments [group B]. Results: In 8 patients o f group B UGCT was considered to be contra-indicated, they were primar ily treated by surgical repair of the PA. A total of 134 patients (gro up A 80 patients, group B 54 patients) underwent an UGCT. In total the success rate of UGCT was in group A 100% and in group B 78%. 12/54 Pa tients (all of group B) with failure of UGCT underwent a secondary sur gical repair of the PA. Within group B there was a negative correlatio n between delay of diagnosis/UGCT and success (p < 0.04), whereas the sized of the sheath did not influence the outcome of the UGCT (p = 0.3 ). Conclusion: Our study confirms the effectiveness and safety of UGCT . Routine colour duplex control of the puncture site the day following the removal of the sheath after percutaneous catheterization and UGCT of PAs without delay can increase the success rate of UGCT and minimi ze the need for surgical repair of PAs.