Purpose: To determine whether route of access, transradial or transfemoral, leads to any discernible differences in patient radiation or contrast medium exposure as well as procedure time in elective prostate artery embolization (PAE).Methods: This retrospective study included sixty patients in total: n = 30 in the radial PAE group, and n = 30 in the femoral PAE group. All procedures were performed in a single angiography suite between May 2018 and January 2021, using a standard kit for each type of vascular access, the same microcatheter/wire combination and embolic agent to super-selectively target and embolize one or both prostate arteries. Outcome measures included dose area product (DAP, µGym2), air kerma (mGy), fluoroscopy time (mins), procedure time (mins) and volume of contrast medium used (mL). Adverse events were also recorded.Results: The radial and femoral groups were matched for age (73.2 ± 7.5 vs 71.3 ± 10.14, P = .41) and body mass index (27.53 ± 5.08 vs 26.41 ± 3.93, P = .38).No significant difference in dose area product, air kerma, fluoroscopy time, procedure time or volume of contrast medium used was found between radial and femoral PAE. No adverse events occurred in either group.Conclusion: Radial PAE is safe and comparable to femoral PAE with respect to patient radiation exposure, contrast medium usage, and procedure duration. Radial access is a useful skill to add to the armament of the interventional radiologist in elective PAE.
Keywords: embolization; prostate artery embolization; radial access; radiation dose; radiation safety; retrospective study.