The AmDel Medical Left Radial Support Sling was an idea developed by senior cardiac radiographer, Sue Best, at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The radial support sling is designed to overcome various problems associated with a left radial access coronary angiography.
A coronary angiography is completed to assess the patency of the vessels which supply the heart muscle with blood.
A catheter is inserted into the cardiovascular system and located in the coronary arteries feeding the heart.
When the catheter is in the correct position a high attenuation contrast agent is injected into the blood vessels to enable coronary blood flow to be visualised under x-ray fluoroscopy.
The comfort of the patient is an important issue as the procedure can be prolonged.
The catheter can be inserted into a femoral or radial artery.
The configuration of the angiography theatres is such that the surgeon stands to the right of the patient and the x-ray equipment and monitors are located on the left of the patient, therefore arterial access is generally gained from the right.
However, in certain circumstances a left access may be required, for example when there are problems with right radial access.
A product overview with instructions can be found on the AmDel Medical website.
More information can be found on the AmDel Medical website.