Radial access means reaching the heart through the artery at the wrist rather than the femoral artery in the groin. It is now the default approach in most of the world, for a straightforward reason: bleeding complications are substantially fewer.
Why access site matters
The femoral artery is large and sits deep in the groin, so bleeding there can be significant and difficult to detect early. The radial artery is small, superficial and easily compressed, and the hand retains a second blood supply through the ulnar artery. Bleeding complications after a procedure are not a cosmetic concern — they are associated with worse outcomes.
What it means for you
You can sit up and walk shortly after the procedure rather than lying flat for hours. Discomfort is generally less, hospital stay is often shorter, and a compression band on the wrist is removed after a few hours.
When the groin is still the better route
Very small or unusually tortuous radial arteries, some complex procedures requiring larger equipment, previous radial access failure, or a need to preserve the radial artery for future dialysis access or bypass grafting. The right route is the one that suits your anatomy, not the one that sounds more modern.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Gurbir Singh Gill — Interventional Cardiologist & Diabetologist, Oxford Hospital.
Last reviewed: 1 September 2026