Sarah Bush Lincoln Vascular Surgeon Ravishankar Hasanadka, MD, recently performed SBL’s first implantation of VasQ extravascular AVF support device, expanding the care offerings SBL can provide for dialysis patients with kidney disease.
SBL is the first hospital in Illinois, outside of Chicago, to perform a VasQ implantation procedure.
Hemodialysis is a medical treatment that replaces the function of failing kidneys by cleaning toxins from your blood with a machine. This process requires creation of a reliable dialysis access for the patient.
“A fistula is a direct connection of a vein to the artery, typically in the arm,” Dr. Hasanadka said. “If someone is undergoing acute, urgent hemodialysis, but their kidneys are not recovering, then a fistula would be necessary.”
For long-term, durable access, surgical creation of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred way to bypass the kidneys to transfer blood to the dialysis machine, clean it, and return it safely to the body. However, this connection can take weeks or months to mature.
During this process, the vein can experience excess stress from arterial flow, which can ultimately lead to failure of the fistula or need for additional procedures. VasQ was designed to address the hemodynamic factors of fistula failure by reinforcing this surgical connection against excess tension, stabilizing blood flow and providing the vessels with a scaffold to help the fistula mature faster with less follow up procedures.
“I’m excited to offer this device to this community. VasQ has so many benefits for dialysis patients and I’m proud to be part of a team harnessing innovation to improve access options. Instead of driving hours away for this option, people can stay close-to-home and still get the most advanced care available.”
For more information, call the SBL Vascular Services at 217-258-4049.