Safety and efficacy of femoral artery closure with the FemoSeal(R) device after coronary angiography using a 7 French sheath

Post-cardiac catheterization femoral artery hemostasis can be accomplished with several mechanisms, including the FemoSeal? hemostasis device which has been designed and approved for closure of 6 French (F) arterial puncture sites. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the FemoSeal? vascular closure device can effectively and safely seal 7F arterial puncture sites after diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterizations. Femoral artery puncture sites of 50 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac catheterization were closed with the FemoSeal? vascular closure device, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Efficacy endpoints were time to hemostasis and successful ambulation. Safety endpoints included bleeding complications, vessel occlusion and pseudoaneurysms. Mean time to hemostasis was 57.8±26.3 seconds (0-125 seconds). Hemostasis was achieved in 100 percent of the 50 patients. One patient suffered minor bleeding the next day, i.e. local hematoma. This clinical study demonstrates that the FemoSeal? vascular closure device, initially approved for closure of 6F arterial puncture sites, shows promising efficacy and safety to seal a larger (7F) femoral arterial puncture sites after diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterizations.