NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Repeat cardiac catheterizations and use of vascular closure devices do not reduce femoral artery size at the puncture site or promote progression of peripheral vascular disease, researchers report this month in the American Heart Journal.

A number of patient characteristics do, however, affect femoral artery size. Smaller arteries are linked with female gender (-1.22 mm, p < 0.001), angiographic peripheral vascular disease (-1.19 mm, p < 0.0001), and current (-0.48 mm, p = 0.001) or former (-0.23 mm, p = 0.01) smoking. Previous statin use was tied to larger arteries (+0.47 mm, p < 0.0001).

These findings are from a caliper-based quantitative vascular analysis of 2102 femoral angiograms performed in 827 consecutive patients.

Each subject had a coronary intervention between 2005 and 2007 and at least one other catheterization through the same femoral access site between 2001 and 2008. The vascular closure devices were Angioseal (St. Jude Medical), Starclose (Abbott Vascular), and Perclose Proglide (Abbott Vascular).

The average diameter of the punctured femoral artery was 6.5 mm, Dr. Frederic S. Resnic, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and colleagues report. The average time between catheterizations was 129 days, and the mean time between the first and last case was 349 days (maximum follow-up was 1841 days).

No significant effect on femoral artery size could be attributed either to the repeat procedures or the vascular closure devices, the authors report, adding that any decease in vessel size was associated with smoking history, and increases were tied to a history of statin use.

"Vascular closure devices are effective for achieving…hemostasis and are safe with long-term preservation of the architecture and size of the femoral artery," when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, they conclude.

Dr. Resnic receives honoraria and consulting fees from St. Jude Medical and Abbott Vascular.

Am Heart J 2010;159:125-130.