RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Effectiveness of vascular closure devices during endovascular procedures requiring a direct puncture of a vascular prosthesis placed in the inguinal region is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The retrospective analysis included 134 patients with a history of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) graft implantation in the inguinal region. In 20 (15 %) patients, haemostasis was achieved with manual compression, in 21 (16 %) with the StarClose™, and in 93 (69 %) with the AngioSeal™ device. RESULTS: The incidence of vascular complications in the manual compression group was higher (at a threshold of statistical significance) than in the device closure group (45.0 vs. 24.5 %, p = 0.059). The difference was considered statistically significant when manual compression was compared with the AngioSeal™ closure group (45.0 vs. 13.9 %, p < 0.01). The vascular complication rate in the StarClose™ group was significantly higher than in the AngioSeal™ group (71.4 vs. 13.9 %, p < 0.000001). While haematomas were the only vascular complications observed after application of AngioSeal™, both haematomas and pseudoaneurysms were found in the StarClose™ group. CONCLUSIONS: The AngioSeal™ vascular closure device provides better local haemostasis than the StarClose™ device or manual compression during endovascular interventions requiring a direct puncture of PETE grafts.