ANEURYSMS OF HEMODIALYSIS ACCESS GRAFTS - TREATMENT WITH COVERED STENTS - A REPORT OF 3 CASES

Three patients with dialysis access graft shunts, having a symptomatic pseudoaneurysm and a hemodynamically significant stenosis at the anas tomosis between the graft shunt and the subclavian vein, were treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and insertion of a Wallsten t. Pseudoaneurysms were excluded by percutaneous insertion of a Cragg Endo-Pro stent-graft with a diameter of 6 mm and a length of 6-10 cm. All three aneurysms were excluded successfully. In two patients, the s tent-graft was punctured repeatedly during follow-up and the aneurysms recurred after 7 and 8 months, respectively. The patency of the dialy sis shunt after stentgraft insertion was 8 (n = 1) and 9 months (n = 2 ). Due to the recurrence of the aneurysm (n = 2) or recurrent thrombos is (n = 1) the use of these shunts was discontinued.