Histological assessment of thermal arterial closure

Vascular closure devices aim to reduce the risk of developing complications following diagnostic cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention. We sought to determine the histopathological effects of thermal arterial closure after femoral arterial puncture in a porcine model. Arteries treated with thermal closure were compared to those treated with manual compression and evaluated at day 3, 10, 30, and 90 following the procedure. All 11 animals completed their follow-up period without complication. Measured morphological and histological parameters were divided into 3 groups: luminal characteristics (indicative of potential for occlusion and ischemic complications), mural features (indicative of vessel wall integrity), and adventitial features (indicative of the potential for fibrosis which may interfere with reuse of the arteriotomy site). This study demonstrates that thermal closure produces similar histopathological effects to manual compression throughout the temporal progression of vascular healing with regards to luminal, mural, and adventitial features. These findings suggest that the risk and safety profile of the thermal closure is comparable to manual compression.