Serial angioscopy during treatments for ProGlide-related femoral occlusion following transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Abstract

Vascular complications associated with vascular closure device use is uncommon; however, it sometimes occurs in transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI). We present a case of ProGlide (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA)-related right femoral occlusion following TF-TAVI. An 83-year-old woman, who underwent TF-TAVI using double ProGlide pre-closure technique, presented with right claudication three days after TAVI. Computed tomography showed femoral occlusion of the puncture site. Recanalization without pressure gradient between the proximal and distal sites of the lesion was achieved by balloon angioplasty (BA) with a 4.0 mm balloon; however, early re-occlusion of the lesion occurred the next day after BA. Repeated BA was performed for the re-occlusion site 30 days after TAVI because of persistent claudication. Serial angioscopic images of the lesion revealed that the intima, which was injured at the first BA, had healed at the second BA, indicating that BA with larger balloons could be safely performed. We performed BA with a 6.0-mm balloon without stent implantation. The patency of the lesion was maintained during the 6-month follow-up period. The serial angioscopic findings, which revealed the healing process of the intima injury, were useful in determining a suitable endovascular therapy strategy for ProGlide-related occlusion. <Learning objective: ProGlide-related femoral occlusion can occur in arteries without stenosis, calcification, and vessel branching, suggesting that ProGlide should be carefully used with echo-guidance to avoid the occlusion of a puncture site. If endovascular therapy is performed for the lesion to avoid surgical repair, sufficient expansion is required to maintain patency. Angioscopy may be useful for determining a suitable endovascular therapy strategy for the lesion by evaluating the properties of the intima.>.

Keywords: Angioscopy; Bailout; Endovascular therapy; Transcatheter aortic valve implantation; Vascular closure device.