Carotid access for cardiac catheterization: revisiting the past for a complex intra-arterial approach

Historically, multiple arterial access sites have been used for cerebral, peripheral or coronary angiography prior to the widespread utilization of the safer transbrachial and, more recently, transfemoral or transradial approaches. Additionally, alternative sites for arterial access such as the carotid artery are often used in complex pediatric invasive procedures. We describe a case of a patient with severe peripheral arterial occlusive disease with active ischemia who required coronary angiography. In collaboration with cardiothoracic surgery, carotid cutdown was successfully performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory to allow performance of diagnostic coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound.