title: Preliminary experience with a cuffed ePTFE graft for hemodialysis vascular access.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine graft patency and blood flow rates in recipients of a new cuffed ePTFE graft (Venaflo graft) used for hemodialysis access. A pilot study was conducted with 12 (7 men, 5 women) consecutive patients (age range, 36-76 yr; mean, 65 yr). All patients were recipients of a new cuffed PTFE graft placed for hemodialysis access. Seven were high risk because of a prior history of clotted hemodialysis accesses (1-6; mean, 3.3). Blood flow rates were determined by ultrasound dilution technique at 3 month intervals. One year and 2 year overall graft patency rates were 90.9% and 68.2%, respectively. One graft (high risk, six prior grafts) was lost to thrombosis in the first year; two grafts (one high risk, four prior grafts) were lost to thrombosis in the second year of follow-up. No graft thrombosis resulted from stenosis at the graft-vein anastomosis. Blood flow rates ranged from 550 to 2,110 ml/min (mean, 1,086 ml/min; n = 8) when first measured 3 months after graft placement. Similar flow rates were observed at 12 months (mean, 1,043 ml/min; n = 7) and 24 months (mean, 1,014 ml/min; n = 4) in grafts available for comparison. Dialysis flow rates in excess of 350 ml/min were possible with all patent grafts. A cuffed ePTFE graft provided stable blood flow and satisfactory graft patency during 2 years of follow-up, even in high risk patients with a prior history of vascular access thrombosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Nyberg
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Jenson
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Benda
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sterioff
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stegall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene