Percutaneous treatment of thrombosed hemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas: use of thromboaspiration and balloon angioplasty

The evolving panorama of vascular access in the 21st century

There are three major types of hemodialysis vascular access: hemodialysis catheters, arteriovenous grafts, and arteriovenous fistulas. Arteriovenous fistulas provide the best access due to their reliability and long-term patency. They are recommended by the current Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiatives (K-DOQI) guidelines; however, not all patients benefit from arteriovenous fistulas due to poor maturation or a lack of adequate vasculature. Currently, hemodialysis is initiated via catheters in the majority of patients. Catheters are associated with high morbidity and mortality due to infection, lower quality of dialysis, and the development of central vein stenosis. The varied responses of patients to the different access types exemplify the need to choose the "right access for the right patient" based on scores that can predict death risk and progression of chronic kidney disease. Additionally, vascular access, often referred to as the "Achilles' heel" of hemodialysis patients, represents a significant percentage of the Medicare budget that continues to increase yearly. The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature on the management of vascular access complications and infection treatment and prevention. The paper also explores emerging research regarding the devices and methods to improve access outcomes such as early cannulation arteriovenous grafts, endovascular arteriovenous fistula creation, and regenerative grafts with resorbable scaffolds, among others. The data were collected through literature searches via PubMed, Athens and web search engines.

Transcatheter Thrombolysis with Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty Using a Trans-Brachial Approach to Treat Thrombosed Arteriovenous Fistulas

Background

Arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are used to provide vascular access for hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal failure. However, stenosis and thrombosis can compromise long-term AVF patency. The objective of this study was to evaluate catheter thrombolysis with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), using a trans-brachial approach, for acutely thrombosed AVFs.

Material/Methods

This retrospective study examined 30 cases of AVF thrombosis treated between January 1, 2015 and January 1, 2017. All patients received transcatheter thrombolysis with PTA using a trans-brachial approach. AVF patency was assessed after 6 months.

Results

Thrombolysis with PTA was performed at 2 to 72 h after diagnosis of AVF occlusion due to acute thrombosis, and AVF patency was restored in all patients. After 6 months, the primary and secondary patency rates were 76.7% and 93.3%, respectively. For type I stenosis, primary patency was achieved in 10 of 16 patients (62.5%) and secondary patency was achieved in 14 of 16 patients (87.5%). For type II stenosis, primary patency was achieved in 13 of 14 patients (92.9%) and secondary patency was achieved in 14 of 14 patients (100%). Comparing type I and II stenosis, a significant difference was detected in the rates of primary patency (odds ratio=0.909, 95% confidence interval 0.754–1.096, P=0.049), but not secondary patency (P=0.178), after 6 months.

Conclusions

Our study provides preliminary evidence that catheter-directed thrombolysis with PTA using a trans-brachial approach can achieve high patency rates when used to treat acutely thrombosed AVFs.