transkatheterale

Transkatheterale, or transcatheter, refers to medical procedures performed through a catheter inserted into the body, typically via a peripheral artery or vein. This approach enables minimally invasive treatment of heart and blood vessel conditions, as well as procedures in other organs, avoiding open surgery in many cases. The term is used across interventional radiology, interventional cardiology, and vascular surgery to describe a wide range of techniques.

In cardiology, transkatheterale interventions include transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR/TAVI), transcatheter repair or replacement of other heart valves, and transcatheter closure of septal defects. In interventional radiology, they encompass embolization to control bleeding or treat vascular malformations, tumor perfusion procedures, and endovascular stenting. In oncology, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) delivers chemotherapy directly to tumors via the arterial supply. These procedures often serve as alternatives to open surgical approaches or as part of multidisciplinary treatment plans.

Techniques typically use fluoroscopic guidance and may incorporate echocardiography, ultrasound, or CT imaging for planning and navigation. Access routes include the femoral artery or vein, with increasing use of radial or brachial approaches. Common devices encompass guidewires, guiding catheters, balloons, stents, valves, coils, and specialized delivery systems for drugs or radiation.

Benefits of transkatheterale methods include shorter recovery times, reduced procedural trauma, and expanded options for patients at high surgical risk. Risks involve vascular injury, bleeding, infection, contrast-induced nephropathy, stroke, and device-related complications. The development of transcatheter techniques began with diagnostic angiography and matured into therapeutic interventions from the late 20th century onward, with rapid expansion in cardiology and radiology in the 2000s.