Stent grafts are better than balloon angioplasty for maintaining function of dialysis access grafts in kidney failure patients who undergo dialysis, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore found that at six months after beginning use, the stent grafts allowed dialysis patients to continue life-saving treatment with significantly fewer interruptions and invasive procedures (NEJM, February 11, 2010, Vol. 362:6, pp. 494-503).
Thirteen sites -- including academic, community-based, inpatient, and freestanding outpatient dialysis centers -- enrolled 190 patients with failing arteriovenous grafts. Ninety-seven patients received stent grafts and 93 underwent balloon angioplasty. Nearly 51% of dialysis accesses treated with stent grafts remained open at six months, compared with 23% of those treated with balloon angioplasties.
Treating physicians had a nearly 94% success rate at implanting the stent grafts. There were no differences in adverse events between the two approaches, the study showed.
Related Reading
Stents better than balloon angioplasty for failing dialysis access grafts, April 5, 2005
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