Efficacy and Safety of the Angioseal Vascular Closure Device Post Antegrade Puncture

In this study, the efficacy and safety of the Angioseal vascular closure device post antegrade puncture of the common femoral artery (CFA) for lower limb vascular interventional procedures are evaluated. A retrospective analysis of the medical records of 60 consecutive patients who were referred for interventional procedures in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) or popliteal artery (popl. art.) was performed. Antegrade puncture was successfully performed in 58 of 60 patients (96.6%). Indications included right SFA angioplasty (n = 35), left SFA angioplasty (n = 17), right popl. art. angioplasty (n = 5), and left popl. art. angioplasty (n = 1). Hemostasis was achieved by, on an intention-to-treat basis, the Angioseal vascular closure device in 46 patients and manual compression in 12 patients. Manual compression was used instead of Angioseal because of severe calcified arterial wall plaques (n = 7), failed deployment of the Angioseal (n = 4), and left SFA dissection (n = 1). There were no major recorded complications in the Angioseal group despite the use of antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications. Twenty-three (50%) of the patients in the Angioseal group were discharged within 24 h. Thirty-seven of the 46 patients who received an Angioseal device had undergone a previous ipsilateral CFA puncture (time range, 2 days to 56 months; mean, 6.2 months). Nine of these patients had undergone ipsilateral Angioseal deployment in the previous 3 months. We conclude that the Angioseal vascular closure device is a safe and efficient means of achieving hemostasis post antegrade puncture.