Background-Endomyocardial biopsy has long been a useful tool to evaluate myocardial diseases. It is a gold standard in diagnosing cardiac rejection and certain types of myocarditis, but there is always a risk for related complications. We have assessed the safety and feasibility of applying long sheaths in endomyocardial biopsy via the femoral approach.
Methods-We performed endomyocardial biopsy in 63 patients via the femoral approach and used a long sheath to guide bioptome from the venous access to the interventricular septum and evaluate the procedure success and complications.
Results-Success rate (acceptable endomyocardial specimen) was 96%, and there were no complications (death, no death, urgent cardiac surgery, advanced cardiac life support, hemothorax, and pneumothorax).
Conclusion-Using long sheaths for the femoral approach seems to be safe and feasible; it confers an acceptable room to grab the endomyocardial samples while obviating the possibility of complications.