Does site matter?

Cardiac catheterisation access site complications are common. Their incidence depends on various risk factors such as female gender, nadir platelet count, diagnostic versus therapeutic intervention, excessive anticoagulation and so on. Thrombotic complications are common at the brachial site and haemorrhagic complications are more common at the femoral site. In spite of new devices for securing haemostasis, the incidence of these complications has not decreased. We report the case of a 71-year-old, obese woman who died secondary to femoral access site haemorrhage despite all surgical attempts. This case emphasises the need for a tailor-made approach for deciding the site of access.