Abstract
INTRODUCTION: There are clear benefits of percutaneous versus open femoral access for endovascular aortic pathology repair. All closing devices commercially available are expensive. Surgical closure of the femoral artery risks potential prolonged wound healing and as a consequence longer hospital stay. Fascial closure is a technique that remains an interesting option. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of the surgical modification of hemostasis control after endovascular repair of aortic pathology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred sixteen common femoral arteries in a group of 58 patients underwent a minimally invasive procedure. Patients suffering from abdominal, thoracic aorta aneurysms, acute thoracic aorta type B dissections and traumatic aortic injury were treated. RESULTS: A 1-year period of experience in fascial closure of 116 common femoral arteries was presented in the group of 58 patients undergoing endovascular interventions. Five intraoperative complications were observed and one late. Three primary failures were due to hemorrhage in three arteries, one required open repair and two additional compression after the procedure. Two cases of limb ischemia required surgical correction of artery closure. One limb ischemia was detected 4 weeks later, and was treated conservatively. At 1 year, 92 fascial closures (80%) were in the follow-up and 24 (20%) were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This new modification of fascial closure is a safe and cheap method of arterial closure following endovascular repair of selected aortic pathologies. The usage of two suture lines makes this procedure easy and quick. Fascial closure technique is comparable to other techniques in terms of success and complication rates.