Technology Description

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a technique for arteriovenous fistula creation that reduces the incidence of juxta-anastomotic stenosis, which often leads to graft failure. The procedure involves clamping closed one end of the graft and attaching instead through the side via pSLOT (“piggyback” Straight Line Onlay Technique). This reduces the torque on the graft, reducing the possibility for stenosis development.

Stage of Research

The researchers have published a study of 125 patients, where 54 were treated with the pSLOT (piggyback) technique. In comparison to other techniques, those patients saw significantly reduced incidence of juxta-anastomotic stenosis.

Publications

• Bharat A, Jaenicke M, Shenoy S. (2012). A novel technique of vascular anastomosis to prevent juxta-anastomotic stenosis following arteriovenous fistula creation. J Vasc Surg, 55(1): 274-280.

Applications

• Arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis
• Any bridging of fluid vessels

Key Advantages

• Decreased risk of stenosis, leading to graft failure

Patents: US 8,657,838

Related Web Links: Shenoy Profile