Patient Comfort With Vascular Closure

The traditional, standard technique of achieving femoral artery hemostasis following diagnostic and interventional catheterization procedures requires compression methods such as manual pressure or clamps held at the puncture site for 10 to 30 minutes, or even longer depending on sheath size and anticoagulation status. This traditional method can be associated with patient discomfort as well as prolonged bed rest, ambulation and hospital discharge. Over the past decade, Vascular Closure Devices (VCDs), which include collagen hemostasis devices, percutaneous suture-mediated closure devices and metallic clips, have emerged as a novel means for reducing time to hemostasis and ambulation following catheterization procedures performed utilizing femoral arterial access. Previous studies with commercially available VCDs have shown that the reduction in time to hemostasis and time to ambulation and discharge have also led to increased patient satisfaction over manual compression. The MynxM5 Vascular Closure Device received FDA approval on April 8, 2009. Like the Mynx 6/7F Vascular Closure Device, which received FDA approval on May 16, 2007, both are designed to achieve femoral artery hemostasis via delivery of an extravascular, water-soluble synthetic sealant which expands upon contact with subcutaneous fluids to seal the arteriotomy. In theory, the lack of pressure needed to clamp, suture, clip or cinch, which is required with intravascular closure devices, may provide an advantage in regards to increased patient comfort during closure device deployment when using the Mynx. Although VCDs have demonstrated an increase in patient comfort and satisfaction over manual compression, little data exists regarding patient comfort when comparing different closure devices. This study is designed to evaluate patient comfort between the MynxM5 and Angio-Seal Evolution Vascular Closure Devices.