Transradial versus transfemoral access for middle meningeal artery embolization: Choice of the access route considering delirium in the elderly

Treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) with middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) is becoming well established. Transradial artery access (TRA) is considered less invasive than transfemoral artery access (TFA) and is increasingly indicated in the field of endovascular therapy. Therefore, this study focused on postoperative delirium and compared access routes. This is a single-center and retrospective study. The strategy was to perform MMAE for CSDH with symptomatic recurrence at our hospital. Cases from July 2018 to September 2022, when MMAE was introduced in our hospital, were included in this study. Patients were divided into TRA and TFA groups and were compared descriptively for patient background, procedure duration, and incidence of postoperative delirium. Twenty-five patients underwent MMAE, of whom 12 (48%) were treated with TRA. The overall median age was 82 years, with no clear differences between the TRA and TFA groups in the presence or absence of preexisting dementia or antithrombotic therapy. Delirium requiring medication tended to be lower in the TRA group: 2/12 (16.7%) in the TRA group versus 6/13 (46.2%) in the TFA group, and the mean procedure time for patients undergoing bilateral MMAE was 151 min (interquartile range [IQR]: 140–173 min) in the TRA group versus 174 min (IQR: 137–205 min) in the TFA group. TRA was associated with an overall shorter procedure time than TFA. MMAE through TRA tended to have a lower incidence of delirium. MMAE through TRA may be useful in recurrent CSDH with a high elderly population.