Percutaneous declotting of virgin femoral hemodialysis grafts.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of our study was to evaluate outcomes of percutaneous declotting procedures in patients with prosthetic femoral dialysis grafts.


METHODS
A retrospective review of all pharmacomechanical femoral dialysis graft declotting procedures performed in our hospital between May 11, 1993, and April 30, 2003, was performed. A total of 110 procedures were performed on 25 patients (nine males, 16 females; age range, 17-80 years; mean age, 49 years) with 30 grafts.


RESULTS
Technical success was 97.3%. Using life table analysis, 30-day postinterventional primary patency was 72%, 90-day primary patency was 46%, 180-day primary patency was 25%, and 365-day primary patency was 4%. The 30-day secondary postinterventional patency was 93%, 90-day secondary patency was 86%, 180-day secondary patency was 76%, and the 365-day secondary patency was 51%. An average of 1.96 declotting procedures were performed per year of dialysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Percutaneous declotting of femoral hemodialysis grafts has technical success and patency rates similar to those for percutaneous declotting in the upper extremities. Results of this series exceeded criteria established by the National Kidney Foundation in the "Dialysis Outcome Quality Initiative" for immediate patency and unassisted 3-month patency.
Peirce
Ryan M
RM
Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. rmpeirce@yahoo.com
Funaki
Brian
B
Van Ha
Thuong G
TG
Lorenz
Jonathan M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D017130:Angioplasty; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000098:blood supply; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014654:Vascular Patency
D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator