After Your Procedure

After your procedure is finished you will go back into the recovery room. For most of our procedures, we use a small plastic tube to access your blood vessels (a sheath). This sheath may be removed in the theatre or in the recovery room. It will require a member of the team to press on the puncture site until it is no longer bleeding.

If the puncture is in your groin, you will have to lay flat for up to 2 hours after the sheath has been removed. This is because sitting up and using your abdominal muscles causes pressure on the vessel wall and can cause it to open up again and continue bleeding.

After the sheath has been removed you will be kept under observation (blood pressure and finger pulse oximeter) for as long as the Doctor recommends before you are able to leave, either to go to a ward or to go home.