Introduction: Permanent arteriovenous fistula and graft are considered the best options for hemodialysis in end-stage renal disease patients. Temporary access using the internal jugular or femoral veins is the feasible option in acute cases of dialysis and if permanent access is unavailable. Occasionally, however, these access sites are unusable after consecutive blockage of the upper and lower extremities veins. A transhepatic or translumbar approach might be the only unconventional way to ensure a sufficient blood flow for adequate dialysis.
Method: Retrospective data on all transhepatic catheters (THCs) in patients at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were collected. The catheters were inserted over a 10-year period (2009-2019). A minimum of 1 year of follow-up from the last catheter insertion was considered for analysis.
Results: A total of 12 patients had THCs with a mean age of 42.5 ± 12.2 and pre-insertion mean dialysis duration of 130.0 ± 72.9 months. All catheters were functional from the start with no immediate complications. A total of 35 catheter replacements over guidewires were made with a median of 2.0 catheters (range of 0-10). The mean blood flow was 300 ± 30 ml/minute with a mean Kt/v of 1.4 ± 0.4. The median initial (primary) device service interval was 68 (range 6-1531 days) and the median total access site service interval was 392 (range 76-2698 days). Catheter complications included catheter migration, thrombosis, and bloodstream infection occurring at a rate of 0.12, 0.18, and 0.046 per 100 catheter days respectively.
Conclusions: Transhepatic catheters provide safe, feasible access in patients with exhausted vascular access. Patients who undergo THC insertion should be worked up for innovative permanent vascular access or urgent transplantation utilizing unconventional vascular techniques to avoid death due to lack of access.
Keywords: Transhepatic catheter; end-stage vascular access; hemodialysis; unconventional vascular access.