The Journal of invasive cardiology
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Radial access is the preferred route for cardiac catheterization; however, small radial arterial diameters can make complex procedures difficult. The assessment of radial artery diameters prior to intervention may be beneficial for the interventional cardiologist. Our aim was to measure the diameter of radial arteries in a study sample from our population, and to analyze the feasibility of using larger sheaths for radial interventions. ⋯ Six Fr sheaths can be used in a significant proportion of our population. Careful selection of male patients with a larger BMI may help the interventionist in advance for planning a radial procedure with larger sheaths.