The main benefit of a hemostatic device is that it can speed recovery and improve a patient’s comfort following a catheter-based procedure. However, some people are not good candidates for hemostatic devices. Patients who are allergic to beef or collagen are not eligible for hemostatic devices that use a procoagulant substance from cows. In addition, procoagulants such as collagen devices depend on the blood’s clotting ability to function properly. Patients taking anticoagulant medication or with clotting disorders may not be appropriate candidates for these types of hemostatic devices. 

Other patients who may not be appropriate for procoagulant hemostatic devices include those with:

Research has suggested that hemostatic devices have the same low risk of complications associated with more traditional strategies of closing the incision site. Although rare, these risks include:

• Bleeding around the point of puncture
• Abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmia)
• Allergic reaction to dye
• Infection
• Blood clots
• Perforation of a blood vessel or other damage to the arteries
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Air embolism
• Death

People are encouraged to thoroughly discuss with their cardiologist any questions or concerns they may have about the risks and benefits of hemostatic devices.