Venous Access for Hemodialysis – Part 1
There are approximately 300,000 hemodialysis patients in the United States currently and the number of patients is projected to increase 4% to 5% annually. The median age of the dialysis patient in the US has risen to 65 years of age. The aging population and the relative scarcity of kidney transplants (about 10,000 annually) means that dialysis will be required for longer periods of time for most patients.
The critical nature of the vascular access in dialysis patients is amplified by longer dependence on this access for dialysis. Provision of vascular access is the largest problem in dialysis today, with the solution involving the patient, nephrologist, surgeon, and interventional radiologist.
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