title: Clinical use of synthetic absorbable cuff material for peripheral vascular anastomosis.
abstract: End to end arteriovenous (AV) fistulas were created using the cuff technique for hemodialysis in 12 patients with end stage renal disease. The cuff used was made of a synthetic biodegradable material, a lactic glycolic acid co-polymer with the same composition as absorbable surgical suture. Cephalic vein radial artery fistulas in the forearm were created electively in six patients to convert a Scribner shunt to a fistula in three patients and because of malfunction of a fistula created previously in three patients. Eleven patients underwent hemodialysis, with pump speeds of more than 200 milliliters per minute, and were evaluated for 129 to 477 days. These subcutaneous AV fistulas were maintained as patent functional veins and continued to function without complication. After five weeks, one patient had conversion to a prosthetic AV fistula because of poor venous maturation. The overall patency rate was 92 percent. The diameter of the AV anastomosis increased gradually with time. At 20 weeks, however, it reached more than 70 percent of the diameter of the radial artery lumen. These observations led us to believe that the cuff material used is biodegraded until 20 weeks and gives sufficient flexibility. In the future, the cuff method is expected to be clinically developed as another approach for vascular anastomosis.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sumimoto
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oshiro
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dohi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply*; D001163:Arteriovenous Anastomosis; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011098:Polyglactin 910; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011098:Polyglactin 910