ABSTRACT
Blood access systems for hemodialysis and their associated devices have reached a high level of sophistication. Today’s polymer engineered catheters and grafts offer many options for long-term access to supplement the natural arteriovenous (AV) fistula. The failure of these systems, however, represents the single leading cause of hospitalization for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The annual costs to Medicare for these procedures was conservatively estimated to be over $500 million (1). It is imperative that we continue to improve these systems, the techniques and means to competently install them, and the instructions and procedures provided for their optimal therapeutic use.
