One-fifth of US surgeons still overusing riskier procedure to create kidney dialysis access

(Johns Hopkins Medicine) Long-term hemodialysis is a lifesaver for approximately half a million patients in the United States with kidney failure (also known as end-stage renal disease, or ESRD) who are either waiting on or unsuitable for a kidney transplant. But before the external machinery can take over the function of the kidneys -- filtering and cleansing wastes from the blood -- a minor surgical procedure is needed to create a stable, functional and reusable access to the circulatory system, usually through blood vessels in the arm.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news