Fistula creation required close cooperation of a team consisting of radiologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists and nephrologists from UCC MUW, who performed the innovative procedure on February 15.
- Using two very thin, flexible, magnetic catheters inserted into the ulnar vein and the ulnar artery, the vessels were brought closer together, and then radiofrequency energy was used to create a tight opening between them. This resulted in increased arterial blood flow from the artery to the vein. Due to this the arterialization of the superficial veins of the arm was achieved, allowing them to be safely cannulated and connected to the artificial kidney. - explains Prof. Sławomir Nazarewski, Head of the Department of General, Vascular and Transplantation Surgery UCC MUW.
Until now, creating permanent vascular access for hemodialysis has required classical surgery. Specialists estimate that the new method may become an alternative to open surgery in the future.
The operation involved:
- from the 2nd Department of Radiology, UCC MUW (headed by Prof. Olgierd Rowinski): Dr Vadym Matsibora and Dr Rafał Maciąg
- from the Department of General, Vascular and Transplantation Surgery UCC MUW (headed by Prof. Slawomir Nazarewski): Dr Amro Alsharabi, Dr Łukasz Wielocha and Dr Łukasz Romanowski under the supervision of Prof. Tadeusz Grochowiecki
- from the 2nd Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (headed by Paweł Andruszkiewicz, MD, PhD): Dr Adam Makowski, Jan Szymborski, MA, specialist in anesthesiology and intensive care nursing
The operation was also attended by the world-renowned specialist in vascular and endovascular surgery Dr. Tobias Steinke of Schön-Klinik in Düsseldorf. The procedure was carried out successfully thanks to the work of operating-theater attendants Grażyna Nowakowska and Ewa Lewińska and radiology technician Jolanta Kubicka.
The hemodialysis procedure was performed under the supervision of Paweł Żebrowski, MD, PhD, from the Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Internal Medicine UCC MUW and Urszula Jabłońska, specialist in nephrology nursing and head of the Department's Dialysis Station.
Until the surgery, the patient was under the ambulatory nephrological care of Dr. Małgorzata Dębowska. Currently, he is under the care of a team from the Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Internal Medicine, UCC MUW, headed by Prof. Jolanta Malyszko.
