All endovascular procedures have the potential for complications. The primary aims
should always be avoidance of preventable complications and to minimize the impact
of any complication. The core principles of an effective preventive strategy are:
involving the interventional and clinical teams in a clear outline of the procedure
and its potential adverse outcomes; ensuring an adequate inventory of required and
backup equipment; the use of “time-out” to minimize wrong patient/wrong side adverse
events; and an active audit program to identify areas of improvement. In the event
of an adverse outcome there are many strategies that can be employed to rectify the
situation or minimize the iatrogenic injury. This article provides a case-based discussion
highlighting some of these techniques and how they can be used in a clinical setting.
Keywords
interventional radiology - complications - iliac arterial rupture - iatrogenic arteriovenous
fistula - vascular snare - distal embolization - thrombolysis
