Robert Shahverdyan, head of the Vascular Access Center at Asklepios Klinik Barmbek, Hamburg, Germany, has recently published a retrospective analysis of his first 32 consecutive radiocephalic (forearm) VasQ External Support procedures in the Journal of Vascular Access. The paper demonstrated that using VasQ as standard of care for radiocephalic fistulas resulted in a significant improvement in his centre’s primary fistula failure and longer-term secondary patency rates with less repeat interventions when compared to historical controls.
Radiocephalic fistulas are the preferred vascular access to facilitate dialysis treatment as compared to other modalities despite the reported high rates of primary failure and need for frequent interventions. Historically, the primary fistula failure rate for radiocephalic fistulas at Shahverdyan’s centre before the use of VasQ was 29%, which compares well to the typically higher rates reported in the clinical literature for this type of fistula. That primary failure rate has dropped to 6% since he began using VasQ as the standard of care for his radiocephalic patients.
Additionally, his rate of repeat procedures required to make the fistulas usable dropped from 0.62 per pt-yr to 0.26 per pt-yr with VasQ. For context, typically reported rates for repeat procedure are between one and two interventions per pt-yr in Europe with rates in the USA reported at over three per pt-yr. His data aligns well with previously reported clinical studies for VasQ for upper arm fistulas and shows that the adoption of VasQ as the standard of care improved patient outcomes of an already high performing centre.
Shahverdyan commented: “Haemodialysis patients are a particularly challenging patient population with historically poor outcomes related to vascular procedures. As surgeons we must be skeptically optimistic about any new technology that promises better outcomes for our patients until we see it perform in a real-world setting. After careful review of my results over the last few years, I was excited to learn of the beneficial impact VasQ has had on my haemodialysis patient outcomes and am happy that I can offer them a better option with VasQ as my new standard of care for their vascular access.”
“The results from Shahverdyan’s practice is a significant step forward for Laminate to meet our goal of providing surgeons tools to create more usable fistulas,” said Laminate CEO Tammy Gilon. “We are excited to continue to partner with physicians like Shahverdyan as they work to create functioning fistulas for each of their patients.”
