Vascular closure device in cardiac cath laboratory: A retrospective observational study

Objective: This study is to share our experience of using vascular closure device (VCD) after anterograde femoral arterial access at cardiac cath lab. Background: Vascular access site management is crucial to safe, efficient, comfortable, and cost-effective diagnostic or interventional percutaneous cardiac procedures. As per the literature, femoral artery access site complications following angiographic procedures range from 1% to 5%. The Angioseal VCD has been shown to be safe and effective in reducing the time to hemostasis following angiographic or other cardiac interventional procedures. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, observational study carried out at a tertiary care hospital of the Armed Forces. All patients in whom Angioseal (St. Jude Medical) were deployed after undergoing either diagnostic coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) through common femoral artery access. All patients from January 2011 to December 2016 in whom VCD was either deployed or attempted were included in the study. Results: A total of 16245 patients were taken up for femoral access for diagnostic procedures and PCI from 2011 to 2016. We observed 98.52% success rate with Angioseal and a mere 1.48% complication rate. Out of the complications observed, only 2 (0.13%) patients had the serious complication of limb ischemia rest were all minor complications. Conclusion: Our observations and experience with the Angioseal VCD are a safe, efficient, and resulting in more favorable patient outcomes.