Hemostat Reduces Bleeding During Pacemaker Implantation

A flowable hemostat reduces the incidence of clinically significant hematomas in patients under anticoagulation therapy when receiving implantable pulse generators.

The D-Stat flowable hemostat is indicated for pocket protection in these patients when they need a pacemaker or cardioverter defibrillator. The hemostat's thick yet flowable consistency allows it to coat the pocket created in the prepectoral area during implantation. The collagen/thrombin suspension, when used in addition to standard therapies such as compression, electrocautery, or untreated cotton pledgets, significantly decreases the incidence of hematoma, compared with standard care alone.
The D-Stat is a product of Vascular Solutions (Minneapolis, MN, USA) and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Originally designed for topical application, such as vascular access sites and percutaneous catheters and tubes, the hemostat can also be used as an adjunct treatment in sealing residual oozing of tissue tracts of femoral access sites previously closed by suture/collagen-based hemostatic devices. D-Stat is indicated for patients with activated clotting times (ACTs) of up to 250 and international normalized ratios (INRs) of up to 2.0.

Patients receiving anticoagulant therapy--such as warfarin, clopidogrel, and/or aspirin--are at increased risk for protracted bleeding after pacemaker implantation surgery, potentially resulting in a pocket hematoma that can lead to infection or require surgical intervention.


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