About Percutaneous Procedures

More than 8 million percutaneous procedures are performed annually. The diagnosis and treatment of heart and peripheral vascular disease often involves puncturing the femoral artery (a large blood vessel in the groin area) to insert a tube-like introducer sheath. The introducer sheath functions as a portal for passing devices into the body and up to the heart or other locations.

The introducer sheath is used during percutaneous procedures such as angiography, angioplasty and stent placement. After the procedure, the introducer sheath is removed and the puncture site is managed to control bleeding.

Management of the puncture site has become more complex due to the use of large diameter introducer sheaths that create a larger hole and anti-clotting medications (e.g., heparin, ReoPro®). Anti-clotting medications are used to improve procedure outcomes by reducing the risk of unwanted blood clots forming at the treatment site, but they also complicate the sealing of the access site.