Vascular Graft for Hemodialysis Resists Thrombosis, Clotting
The Gore Propaten, from W.L. Gore and Associates, is a vascular graft for hemodialysis access that utilizes a covalent bonding technology to adhere heparin to the graft surface.
Arteriovenous (AV) grafts are used to create a conduit for repeated blood access during hemodialysis, allowing blood to be withdrawn from the body and cleansed when a patient has end stage renal disease (ESRD), commonly referred to as kidney failure. During the implantation procedure, a vascular graft is implanted through two small incisions in the arm. Once a tunnel is created under the skin, one end of the vascular graft is sewn to the artery and the other to the vein. Blood can then flow rapidly from the artery through the vascular graft into the vein, producing the higher flow rates needed for the hemodialysis process.
The Carmeda BioActive Surface (CBAS) activity has demonstrated long-lasting effectiveness in a clinical explant of up to three years after implantation. It allows blood flowing through the graft to resist thrombosis or clotting. The graft is composed of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) material with excellent handling properties and flexibility for ease of use.
The device has been used in lower extremity applications in the United States since 2006 and in Europe for more than ten years with a reported one-year primary patency in below-knee bypasses of 80 percent, compared with 66 percent for standard ePTFE and 81 percent for autologous vein bypasses.
The graft is now available in multiple configurations, including 4 – 7 mm tapers and integrated rings. The cross-sectional profile is reduced by approximately 24 percent when compared to an externally ringed vascular graft.
For more information: www.goremedical.com