Formaldehyde-fixed arterial allograft as a novel vascular access alternative in end-stage renal disease patients.

Abstract

Liu and co-workers report on a preliminary study with formaldehyde-fixed arterial allografts. In this way they provide a novel alternative for solving the problem of failing to achieve vascular access in hemodialysis patients. Formaldehyde fixation offers an effective way of reducing the antigenicity of heterologous arterial allograft. Preliminary clinical experience shows that technical survival of such preserved arterial allograft appears quite promising. Further studies will help to define the place of this allograft material in vascular access management of ESRD patients.