Endovascular repair of symptomatic hemodialysis access graft pseudoaneurysms.
OBJECTIVE
Repeated needle punctures of arteriovenous hemodialysis grafts can lead to the development of pseudoaneurysms. As they enlarge, graft pseudoaneurysms are associated with significant morbidity and require treatment. We present our single-center experience using stent grafts in selected patients to exclude symptomatic hemodialysis graft pseudoaneurysms.


METHODS
Between March 2007 and December 2010, 11 consecutive patients (7 men and 4 women, mean age 57 years) underwent percutaneous endovascular repair of symptomatic hemodialysis access graft pseudoaneurysms. Indications for treatment were rapidly enlarging pseudoaneurysm in 5 patients, high venous pressures, limb edema and pseudoaneurysm in 3, skin breakdown over the pseudoaneurysm site in 2 and acute rupture and bleeding in 1 patient. No patient was lost to follow-up.


RESULTS
Technical success across the 11 patients was 90.9%. The patient who presented with rupture required ligation of the access due to continuous bleeding after stent graft insertion. Balloon angioplasty of a separate hemodynamically significant stenosis at the time of stent graft insertion was performed in 7 of 11 (63.6%) patients. The primary access patency rates were 72.7% (95% CI of 0.390-0.939) at 3 months and 36.4% (95% CI 0.109-0.692) at 6 months. Secondary access patency rates were 72.7% at 6 months (95% CI 0.233-0.832). There were no procedure-related complications. Mean follow-up was 9 months (range 2-29 months).


CONCLUSIONS
Endovascular treatment of symptomatic hemodialysis graft pseudoaneurysms is safe and effective with similar patency rates to surgical approaches. Importantly, this approach allows aggressive management of associated access circuit stenoses at the same time and avoids interval tunneled dialysis line insertion.
Interventional Radiology Department, The Royal London Hospital, London - UK.
Nicos
N
Fotiadis
Andrew
A
Shawyer
Girish
G
Namagondlu
Arun
A
Iyer
Matthew
M
Matson
Muhammad Magdi
MM
Yaqoob
D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency