Comprehensive Dialysis Access Care

Patients with chronic renal failure need regular hemodialysis that performs the kidney’s job of ridding the body of toxic waste products, and to maintain fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance. One of the greatest challenges facing patients and their doctors is keeping the vascular access graft open for dialysis. Most patients with chronic renal failure receive dialysis using synthetic bridge grafts made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). These tend to clot or malfunction, decreasing reliable access for life-sustaining dialysis and causing considerable morbidity, discomfort and inconvenience for dialysis patients.

Currently, there are about 250,000 Medicare patients undergoing hemodialysis in the United States, and half or more will have at least one episode of clotting (thrombosis) of the graft. Until recently, most thrombosed grafts had been managed by surgically removing the clot, but vascular interventionalists are increasingly providing nonsurgical dialysis declotting. These interventions are safer, less costly, and equally effective and they improve the quality of life for dialysis patients.

Because of the clotting issues with dialysis grafts, a growing number of patients are having an arteriovenous fistula, which is a connection created surgically by joining a vein and an artery in the forearm that allows blood from the artery to flow into the vein, thus providing access for dialysis. Fistulas are considered the “gold standard” for maintaining access to a patient’s circulatory system, to provide life-sustaining dialysis. They last longer, need fewer reforms, and are associated with lower rates of infections, hospitalization and death than other types of access.

PVG Provides Solutions for Better Dialysis Care

Learn more about dialysis access creation, education and management by clicking on the buttons below:

Dialysis Access Education Dialysis Access Management Dialysis Access Options Vascular Access Management Program

If you would like to schedule an appointment at Preferred Vascular Group to have a consult with a Board-Certified physician or would like to have one of our highly trained care providers reach out to you, please click on a button below: