What You Should Know About Vascular Access for Diabetes
November is Diabetes Month. If you are a diabetic, this month is one of the best times to consider your condition and your health. Many people know that diabetes carries risks. Untreated or uncontrolled, it can create numerous health risks for you. That includes damage to your kidneys. Damage to your kidneys is problematic as it is hard for the kidneys to recover, which often leads to complications, including the development of more advanced kidney disease. This makes the need for dialysis more common in people who have diabetes.
What Is Vascular Access Surgery?
Many diabetes patients develop kidney failure, which means your kidneys are unable to remove toxins from the blood supply. Dialysis is an artificial method for doing this, but it is very hard on the body, and it requires vascular access.
Vascular access is a surgical procedure that allows for the placement of a line within the veins to enable kidney dialysis to occur. The procedure is an outpatient procedure, but it is serious and needs to be done well by a highly experienced surgical team.
The procedure creates a direct link between the major artery and the vein in the arm, called an arteriovenous fistula, or it creates an artificial tube that will connect the artery and vein in your arm, called an Arteriovenous graft. In either case, it allows for the dialysis equipment to be easily hooked up to you so that it can run properly.
Why Is It Important?
Dialysis access is a big part of your treatment for kidney disease. With this type of access, there is less damage placed on your veins, allowing for the treatment to continue longer. For those with end stage kidney failure, this is a critical step in protecting yourself for dialysis to continue to be used to treat your condition.
Find the Help You Need with Us
The board-certified Vascular Surgeons of Premier Surgical Vascular and Vein Center in Knoxville, TN, are vascular experts with years of experience in installing vascular access for kidney dialysis patients.
Our dedicated Access Coordinator, Cris is here to help you when you need help with vascular access for kidney disease. Our dedicated Access Coordinator Cris Caldwell works with you, your nephrologist and dialysis center to address any concerns or issues with your treatment. Reach out to Cris at (865) 306-5759 today for a consultation or to discuss the proper treatment options for your access needs.