This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
UK study: 3-D images help track fistula maturation
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The use of 3-D images to survey the progress of a maturing arteriovenous fistula can help clinicians determine whether the access will need modifications or be useable over time, a recently published study shows.
Researchers from the Imperial College in London studied the 3-D images of the structure of the access in 6o patients prior to initiation of dialysis to help increase its likelihood of success.
“Arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) created for hemodialysis are susceptible to non-maturation,” wrote Richard W. Corbett, BM BCh, and colleagues from the Imperial College. “Vascular geometry influences local blood flow, which in turn is implicated in the development of neointimal hyperplasia, which is central to fistula failure. Whereas AVFs are often considered to be two-dimensional structures created from straight vessels, this work highlights the three-dimensional nature of AVFs in vivo.”
Following creation of the AVF, initial MRI and ultrasound imaging were performed within 2 to 6 hours on the same day. After waiting about 6 weeks for the fistulas to mature, the authors found physical changes to the product.
“The more curved AVFs had greater success rates, as did the ones with larger angles between artery and vein,” they wrote.
Researchers noted the 3-D shape of AVF helped surgeons reduce the number of failed vessels and therefore improve dialysis outcomes.
“Our findings show good reason to consider the 3-D structure of AVFs when creating them in patients,” Corbett and colleagues concluded. “We hope this will encourage surgeons who create these structures to think in three dimensions instead of two. ”
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts