Endovascular tools

Abstract

The Seldinger technique, first described in 1953, revolutionized the way angiography is performed. It overcomes the traditional need for surgical exposure of a blood vessel before catheterization by using a guide wire to introduce devices into a blood vessel via a percutaneous puncture. The technique involves percutaneous puncture of a blood vessel with a hollow needle, introduction of a guidewire through the needle into the blood vessel lumen, removal of the needle while maintaining the guidewire in position, followed by advancement of a catheter over the guidewire. Refinement of this technique by placement of a sheath over the puncture site allows devices to be introduced via the same puncture site without the need for multiple punctures. The tools for endovascular interventions are outlined in this chapter.