Conversion of non-tunneled to tunneled hemodialysis catheters.

PURPOSE: To determine the safety and efficacy of conversion of non-tunneled (temporary) catheters to tunneled catheters in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: A retrospective review of 112 consecutive conversions in 111 patients was performed over a period of 4 years. Fourteen patients were lost to follow-up. The remaining 97 patients had clinical follow-up. Temporary catheters were converted to tunneled catheters utilizing the same internal jugular venotomy sites and a modified over-the-wire technique with use of a peel-away sheath . Follow-up clinical data were reviewed. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all 112 procedures. None of the 97 patients with follow-up suffered early infection within 30 days. The total number of follow-up catheter days was 13,659 (range 2-790). Cases of confirmed and suspected bacteremia requiring catheter removal occurred at a frequency of 0.10 per 100 catheter days. Suspected catheter infection treated with antibiotics but not requiring catheter intervention occurred at a frequency of 0.04 per 100 catheter days. Frequency of all suspected or confirmed infections was 0.14 per 100 catheter days. Catheter interventions as a result of poor blood flow, inadvertent removal, catheter fracture, or kinking occurred at a rate of 0.18 per 100 catheter days. Life table analysis revealed primary patency rates of 86%, 64%, and 39% at 30 days, 90 days, and 180 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: Conversion of temporary catheters to tunneled catheters using the pre-existing venotomy sites is safe and has low rates of infection and malfunction. These rates are comparable to previously published rates for tunneled catheters placed de novo and tunneled catheter exchanges.

Using pullback pressure measurements to identify venous stenoses persisting after successful angioplasty in failing hemodialysis grafts.

OBJECTIVE: We used pullback pressure measurements to identify venous stenoses persisting after angioplasty of failing hemodialysis grafts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty angioplasty procedures were performed in 32 patients with elevated venous pressures at dialysis. Grafts were initially evaluated on digital subtraction angiography, and all stenoses measuring greater than 50% on angiography underwent angioplasty. In successful cases (residual stenosis < 30%), pullback pressure measurements were obtained from the superior vena cava to the graft to identify hemodynamically significant (> 10 mm Hg) stenoses. These lesions were then treated with repeated angioplasty. RESULTS: Hemodynamically significant stenoses with a gradient range of 10-27 mm Hg (mean, 16 mm Hg) were found in nine (18%) of 50 procedures. All gradients occurred at sites of previous angioplasty. Repeated angioplasty of these stenoses performed with larger angioplasty balloons reduced gradients to less than 3 mm Hg in six stenoses and to 5 mm Hg in three stenoses. In this subgroup, primary patency was eight (89%) of nine stenoses at 1 month and 2 months and five (56%) of nine stenoses at 6 months. Using life table analysis, we found that primary patency of the entire population was 84% at 1 month, 66% at 2 months, and 47% at 6 months. The mean time between interventions was 6 months, and the thrombosis rate was 0.32 per year. CONCLUSION: Pullback pressure measurements are a useful adjunct to angiography to evaluate the hemodynamic results of angioplasty in patients with failing hemodialysis grafts.