State’s First Endovascular Procedure for Dialysis Patients Performed at Baton Rouge General

Minimally Invasive Option Creates Access for Dialysis Without Open Surgery

BATON ROUGE, La. – Vascular surgeon Dr. Joseph Griffin was the first physician in Louisiana and the second in the country to perform a new endovascular procedure for patients with chronic kidney disease. Performed at Baton Rouge General, the procedure gives surgeons a minimally invasive way to create access to the bloodstream, which is critical for dialysis treatment.

In the U.S. there are nearly 450,000 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the final stage of kidney disease. ESRD patients require dialysis to stay alive because their kidney function is too low to remove the necessary fluid and toxins. Clinicians need access to the bloodstream in order to administer dialysis, and most commonly, this is done by creating an arteriovenous (AF) fistula. A fistula is a surgically created connection between an artery and vein, and is typically placed in a patient’s arm.

“These patients depend on dialysis access as their lifeline for treatment,” said Dr. Griffin. “This innovative new procedure does not require open surgery to create the access, which had been the standard of care for over 50 years.”

In addition, the endovascular AVF approach lessens the trauma to a patient’s blood vessels and creates the access in a different area in the forearm, near the ulnar artery and ulnar vein.

“The new technique also gives patients the best chance to use their natural blood vessels instead of a more complicated, surgical procedure using a graft,” added Dr. Griffin.

The procedure utilizes the WavelinQ EndoAVF System, which was cleared this summer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information, contact the Vascular Specialty Center.

Dr. Joseph Griffin, center, is joined by, from left, James Myers, Amanda Holden and Leslie Klein, after the successful completion of the new procedure at Baton Rouge General.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with 588 licensed beds between two campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General serves as an affiliate of Tulane University School of Medicine, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter at @BRGeneral.

About Vascular Specialty Center
Baton Rouge Vascular Specialty Center (VSC) provides care from fellowship-trained, board-certified, experienced leaders in vascular care who have served Baton Rouge and southern Louisiana with distinction for more than 30 years. Our professional, friendly vascular team has helped thousands of patients just like you. For more information, visit brvsc.com or call 225-399-4472.

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