RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Pre-closure of femoral venous access sites used for large-sized sheath insertion with the Perclose device in adults undergoing cardiac intervention JF Heart JO Heart FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Cardiovascular Society SP 571 OP 572 DO 10.1136/hrt.2006.095935 VO 94 IS 5 A1 V S Mahadevan A1 S Jimeno A1 L N Benson A1 P R McLaughlin A1 E M Horlick YR 2008 UL http://heart.bmj.com/content/94/5/571.abstract AB Background: Interventional procedures in adults with congenital cardiac conditions often require insertion of large-sized sheaths into the femoral veins. Data on the use of suture-mediated devices for femoral venous access site closure are scant and no data are available regarding venous patency after device use. Objective: To assess the efficacy of the 6Fr Perclose (Abbott Vascular Devices, CA, USA) suture-mediated device in achieving haemostasis and venous patency after closure. Design and setting: 146 consecutive patients (80 women, mean (SD) age 45 (14) years) undergoing closure of 205 femoral venous access sites in a tertiary cardiac centre were studied. All received heparin and were taking concomitant aspirin or clopidogrel, or both. The majority (98%) had a ⩾10Fr sheath inserted. Results: Immediate haemostasis was achieved in 202 (99%) sites. Two patients (1.4%) had a major complication. On follow-up (111 patients, mean (SD) 71 (33) days) there was no evidence of haematoma or fistula formation. Doppler studies from a subgroup of 43 (29%) patients (mean (SD) age 45 (15) years, mean (SD) follow-up 47 (18) days) showed a common femoral venous diameter of 11.6 (2.7) mm on the device closed right and 12.2 (2.5) mm on the left vein (p>0.05). All accessed veins were patent with no pseudoaneurysm or arteriovenous fistula formation. Conclusion: Pre-closure of large-size sheath femoral venous access sites using the suture-mediated Perclose device is efficacious in achieving rapid haemostasis in the presence of anticoagulation. Doppler follow-up shows no loss of venous patency or luminal venous diameter as compared with the contralateral side.