Low dose radiation keeps arteriovenous (AV) shunts open
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Low dose radiation can keep arteriovenous shunts open even when repeated PTA fails, say doctors from Emory University, Atlanta. A team led by Dr Ron Waksman used a high-activity iridium line- source to irradiate AV shunts in 11 chronic-dialysis patients. Monthly ultrasound revealed that 13 of 14 treated vessels stayed open for at least 128 days. There are about 130,000 dialysis patients in the US. AV shunts typically fail at 14-15 months.