Preclinical evaluation of vascular closure devices.

Vascular closure devices (VCDs) are a diverse class of cardiovascular devices intended to achieve hemostasis following arteriotomy in the common femoral artery for diagnostic and therapeutic interventional procedures. While the preclinical evaluation of VCDs parallel that of many other cardiovascular devices, there are device-specific nuances and model-specific technical considerations in assessing performance and handling, determining safety, and satisfying regulatory requirements. Despite the multi-decade use and continued development of novel VCD technologies, there is a paucity of published literature on their preclinical evaluation.

"The Gordian knot of it he will unloose": Lessons learned from studies of half-hitch surgical knots and implications for practicing surgeons: A systematic review.

Background: Insecure surgical knots can cause surgical complications ranging from wound dehiscence to massive exsanguination and death. Most surgeons tie half-hitch knots, of which some configurations are prone to slippage. We aim to characterize the securities of different half-hitch knot configurations.