Device Closures

A vascular device closure is generally a piece of collagen, metallic tip or a suture which is designed to provide an immediate closure to the small puncture made in the artery post an angiogram. Angiography is imaging of blood vessels and the live pictures are sent to the video monitor. It helps the surgeon to have a visual and to see any abnormalities that help to guide the treatment of disease. The femoral artery gives the doctor arterial access, it a large artery that passes through the groin region. The surgeon inserts a catheter into the artery by puncturing it with the help of a small needle.

After the completion of the angiographic procedure, the catheter is removed from the artery. It leaves a hole in your artery and its size is based on the size of the catheter. The hole won’t stop bleeding unless treated. The doctor or nurse stops the bleeding by placing a finger (manual compression) directly over it. It is an effective technique but it usually takes 10-15 minutes or longer and it is based on the size of the catheter. However, manual compression requires patients to lie flat in a straight position for at least four hours after the procedure.

A vascular device closure device is an alternative to manual compression. It provides an immediate sealing of the femoral artery access site, hence, there is no need for prolonged manual compression.

Risks Associated With The Vascular Closure Device

There are usually no after-effects of the vascular device closure as the device provide an immediate sealing to the arterial access site. Also, you won’t be able to feel any presence of the device in your body.

• Device failure
• Delayed bleeding
• Infection

Benefits Of The Vascular Closure Device

• It reduces the amount of time that you need to lie flat after the procedure
• Useful when you consume blood-thinning medications
• It is useful in the larger patients, where manual compression is difficult