From 2% to 14% of patients experience Vascular Access Site Complications following coronary angioplasty. Prolonged hospitalizations and increased costs among consequences.

Despite technical advances in interventional procedures, with a progressive reduction in catheter size, vascular access site complications are still an actual problem, both from a clinical and an economical point of view. They are responsible for an increase in patient morbidity, and a prolonged hospitalization with considerable increase in costs. The incidence of vascular access site complications during percutaneous diagnostic and interventional procedures from the femoral approach varies from 2 to 14% according to different case series. Risk factors are old age, female gender, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and uncontrolled high blood pressure. Furthermore, the increasing use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors during coronary angioplasty has contributed to an increase in vascular access site hemorrhagic complications. This issue has only been partly resolved with the decrease in intra- and post-procedural dosages of heparin, early sheath removal, and prolonged manual compression time. Vascular closure devices may potentially reduce the time needed to achieve hemostasis, the time to ambulation, and hospitalization time. Studies show acceptable safety and effectiveness profiles, though a clear advantage over...continua a leggere