transcatetere

Transcatetere, a Latinized spelling of transcatheter, refers to medical techniques and devices delivered through a catheter to reach a target site within the body. In modern usage, transcatheter methods are categorized as minimally invasive, avoiding large surgical openings.

Procedures are performed using percutaneous vascular access—commonly via the femoral or radial artery—and guided by imaging technologies such as fluoroscopy, intravascular ultrasound, echocardiography, or computed tomography. Special delivery systems enable crossing vessels, navigating to the heart or other organs, and deploying devices.

Cardiovascular medicine provides many transcatheter applications, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR/TAVI), transcatheter mitral valve repair or replacement, and transcatheter closure of septal defects. In interventional radiology, transcatheter approaches are used for embolization, stent placement, tumor embolization, and targeted drug delivery.

Compared with open surgery, transcatheter techniques typically offer shorter recovery times and reduced hospital stays, at the expense of specialized equipment and training. Risks include vascular complications, bleeding, infection, device malposition, stroke, kidney injury, and contrast-related reactions; outcomes depend on patient selection and operator experience.

Transcatheter methods are performed in specialized centers with multidisciplinary teams, including interventional cardiologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, and imaging specialists. Ongoing research aims to expand indications, improve device design, and enhance imaging guidance.