 |
Central venous occlusions (CVOs) are a common
complication that may be observed subsequent
to the placement of central venous catheters.
Previous studies have reported the incidence of
venous thrombosis, the formation of which may result in
CVOs, to be between approximately 3% and 38% after
the placement of peripherally inserted central venous
catheters and venous ports.1 The most common etiology
of symptomatic lesions results from the long-term
catheterization of patients for hemodialysis to treat endstage
renal disease (ESRD). The presence of an ipsilateral
vascular access greatly increases the blood flow in an
upper extremity such that 70% of patients who have an
ipsilateral hemodialysis access will become symptomatic
with a CVO as compared to the 10% of nondialysis
patients that become symptomatic. Ipsilateral hemodialysis
access with a pacemaker are compounding risk variables.
Symptoms that may develop due to a CVO include
an acutely swollen arm, neck pain, facial swelling, and
chest wall varicosities. Percutaneous treatment is a more
common choice than thoracic surgery for alleviating these
symptoms due to the high morbidity and mortality rates
in ESRD patients with high upper extremity blood flow.
 |
Diabetes Living Today® radio program provides listeners with education, inspiration and motivation to live healthy and well with diabetes. Whether you have diabetes or know someone who does Diabetes Living Today® radio program offers experience, insight, education and tips to manage life with diabetes. Through interviews, including "World Class" Research Scientist, physicians and people living with diabetes, living well tips and questions from the listening audience, host Kitty Castellini and Endocrinologist Dr. Joseph J. Fallon, Jr. are there every step of the way to offer guidance, advice, and most of all, support.
This week Kitty and Dr. Fallon will interview Dr. James F. McGuckin, Founder, CEO, Medical Director at Vascular Access Center and Dr.Nasser I. Youssef, Transplant Surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. Listeners are invited to call in with their questions and comments. Tuesday Evening 8:00PM ~ 9:00PM (EST) Cruisin 92.1 FM~WVLT, streaming live on the web at www.wvlt.com Call In: 856-696-0092.
 |
Failed central venous occlusion (CVO) recanalization leads to several unpalatable treatment options: surgical banding or take down of the ipsilateral dialysis access, surgical reconstruction with possible rip resection/thoracotomy, or the need for the patient to tolerate underlying symptoms secondary to the obstruction and possibly poor quality of hemodialysis related to recirculation.
 |
A new device provides relief to patients with swollen arms and legs as a result of their medical conditions, such as those who are on dialysis for kidney failure, or who have pacemakers. These patients have permanent devices in their veins, which can causes scarring and reduce blood flow, leading to swollen extremities. Doctors use a variety of techniques to open up the completely blocked veins (called a central venous occlusion, or CVO), but efforts fail 10 to 12 percent of the time, and those patients are miserable because their extremities are very swollen. The new device, the Baylis PowerWire™ Radiofrequency (RF) Guidewire, is advanced to the site of the scarring using minimally invasive techniques. RF energy is used to burn through the blockage.
