Recently, a team led by Professor Zhou Shi from the Interventional Department at the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University carried out the first sheathless microcatheter hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy in Southwest China for a patient with primary liver cancer. This achievement represents a significant breakthrough in minimally invasive interventional therapy at the hospital.

 

The patient, a 55-year-old man diagnosed with liver cancer nine months ago, was recovering from internal fixation surgery for a lower limb fracture. Given concerns about prolonged bed rest after traditional femoral artery access intervention, the team conducted a thorough evaluation and opted for a sheathless microcatheter technique via brachial artery puncture to perform super-selective hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy.

 

This innovative approach offers notable advantages over conventional interventional surgery: by eliminating the vascular sheath, the microcatheter is inserted directly through a 0.5-millimeter puncture site—significantly smaller than the standard 2-millimeter incision. The brachial artery access avoids extended postoperative immobilization, reducing the risk of deep vein thrombosis and making it ideal for special patient groups, such as those with fractures. The microcatheter allows precise navigation to target vessels, enabling localized high-concentration drug delivery. The procedure also resulted in minimal blood loss—less than 5 milliliters—and the patient was able to ambulate shortly after surgery with no complications.

Technically challenging and still rarely used domestically, this method is well-suited for abdominal interventional procedures. It offers particular benefits for elderly patients, individuals with poor vascular conditions, and those with comorbidities. The successful implementation of this technique highlights the advanced capabilities of Guizhou Medical University Hospital and opens a new avenue for precise diagnosis and treatment of complex thoracic and abdominal lesions.