RESUMO
BACKGROUND: With transradial access (TRA) being more progressively used in neuroendovascular procedures, we compared TRA with transfemoral access (TFA) in middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) for chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH). METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing MMAE for cSDH at 14 North American centers (2018-23) were included. TRA and TFA groups were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) controlling for: age, sex, concurrent surgery, previous surgery, hematoma thickness and side, midline shift, and pretreatment antithrombotics. The primary outcome was access site and overall complications, and procedure duration; secondary endpoints were surgical rescue, radiographic improvement, and technical success and length of stay. RESULTS: 872 patients (median age 73 years, 72.9% men) underwent 1070 MMAE procedures (54% TFA vs 46% TRA). Access site hematoma occurred in three TFA cases (0.5%; none required operative intervention) versus 0% in TRA (P=0.23), and radial-to-femoral conversion occurred in 1% of TRA cases. TRA was more used in right sided cSDH (58.4% vs 44.8%; P<0.001). Particle embolics were significantly higher in TFA while Onyx was higher in TRA (P<0.001). Following PSM, 150 matched pairs were generated. Particles were more utilized in the TFA group (53% vs 29.7%) and Onyx was more utilized in the TRA group (56.1% vs 31.5%) (P=0.001). Procedural duration was longer in the TRA group (median 68.5 min (IQR 43.1-95) vs 59 (42-84); P=0.038), and radiographic success was higher in the TFA group (87.3% vs 77.4%; P=0.036). No differences were noted in surgical rescue (8.4% vs 10.1%, P=0.35) or technical failures (2.4% vs 2%; P=0.67) between TFA and TRA. Sensitivity analysis in the standalone MMAE retained all associations but differences in procedural duration. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, TRA offered comparable outcomes to TFA in MMAE for cSDH in terms of access related and overall complications, technical feasibility, and functional outcomes. Procedural duration was slightly longer in the TRA group, and radiographic success was higher in the TFA group, with no differences in surgical rescue rates.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) has emerged as a promising therapy for chronic subdural hematomas (cSDHs). The efficacy of standalone MMAE compared with MMAE with concurrent surgery is largely unknown. METHODS: cSDH patients who underwent successful MMAE from 14 high volume centers with at least 30 days of follow-up were included. Clinical and radiographic variables were recorded and used to perform propensity score matching (PSM) of patients treated with standalone MMAE or MMAE with concurrent surgery. Multivariable logistic regression models were used for additional covariate adjustments. The primary outcome was recurrence requiring surgical rescue, and the secondary outcome was radiographic failure defined as <50% reduction of cSDH thickness. RESULTS: 722 MMAE procedures in 588 cSDH patients were identified. After PSM, 230 MMAE procedures remained (115 in each group). Median age was 73 years, 22.6% of patients were receiving anticoagulation medication, and 47.9% had no preoperative functional disability. Median midline shift was 4 mm and cSDH thickness was 16 mm, representing modestly sized cSDHs. Standalone MMAE and MMAE with surgery resulted in similar rates of surgical rescue (7.8% vs 13.0%, respectively, P=0.28; adjusted OR (aOR 0.73 (95% CI 0.20 to 2.40), P=0.60) and radiographic failure (15.5% vs 13.7%, respectively, P=0.84; aOR 1.08 (95% CI 0.37 to 2.19), P=0.88) with a median follow-up duration of 105 days. These results were similar across subgroup analyses and follow-up durations. CONCLUSIONS: Standalone MMAE led to similar and durable clinical and radiographic outcomes as MMAE combined with surgery in select patients with moderately sized cSDHs and mild clinical disease.
