title: Results of a seven-year, single-centre experience of the long-term outcomes of bovine ureter grafts used as novel conduits for haemodialysis fistulas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the long-term outcomes of bovine ureter grafts as novel conduits for haemodialysis fistulas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five patients underwent placement of a total of 40 SynerGraft 100 (SG100; CryoLife Europa(®), Guildford, UK) bovine ureter grafts between April 2002 and February 2009. Prospective data were collected on all patients, including active surveillance with blood flow studies and 6-monthly duplex ultrasound studies. Main outcome measures were primary and secondary patency rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean follow-up time was 97 weeks (range 4-270). Thirteen patients died from unrelated causes during the study period; 12 of these patients had a functioning graft at the time of death. Five patients underwent transplantation, and all had a functioning graft at transplantation. Twelve patients had a functioning graft at the end of the study period. One hundred and ten stenoses were detected, and 97 venoplasty procedures were performed. Of the stenoses, 41.8% were located at the venous anastomosis, 12.7% within the graft, 17.3% in the outflow veins, and 28.1% in central veins. No arterial stenoses were detected. Primary patency rates were 53% at 6 months and 14% at 1 year. Secondary patency rates were 81% at 6 months, 75% at 1 year, and 56% at 2 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active surveillance and intervention was able to achieve satisfactory long-term secondary patency for these novel conduits compared with those made of PTFE seen in other studies [1].
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK. neelan.das@gmail.com
authors.forename: Neelan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bratby
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cornall
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Darby
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boardman
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.forename: Raman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uberoi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000818:Animals; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000601:surgery; D014513:Ureter; D014654:Vascular Patency