Metallic stents deployed in synthetic arteriovenous hemodialysis grafts.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to review the success of metallic stent treatment of intragraft stenoses in patients with synthetic arteriovenous hemodialysis grafts.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 1993 and May 1997, 19 metallic stents were placed in 11 patients (seven women, four men; age range, 41-83 years) to treat elastic intragraft stenoses or graft dissections. Before stent placement, all patients had experienced multiple episodes of graft thrombosis, had very limited vascular access for hemodialysis, and were considered poor surgical candidates.
RESULTS: The technical success rate was 100%, and there were no procedural complications. Using life-table analysis, we found primary patency to be 36% at 6 months after stent placement, 12% at 12 months, and 12% at 18 months. Secondary patency was 91% at 6 months after stent placement, 71% at 12 months, and 47% at 18 months. The mean and median patencies per intervention were 4.2 and 3.6 months, respectively. Mean and median secondary graft patencies were both 14 months (range, 3 days-32 months). Puncture through the stents occurred during dialysis, causing stent distortion and fracture. Eight stents had a linear fracture suggesting compression contributed to the stent distortion. No clinically evident complications related to stent placement occurred.
CONCLUSION: Metallic stent deployment can salvage access in synthetic arteriovenous grafts by alleviating intragraft stenoses. Patency of intragraft stents is similar to venous stents used to treat other hemodialysis-related stenoses; however, fracture of Wall-stents occurs with prolonged graft use, especially in areas of needle punctures.