BVT Welcomes National Kidney Foundation’s Revamp of the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vascular Access
Updated 2019 guidelines emphasize vessel preservation, aligns with the Surfacer® System’s “Don’t Go Left™” approach.
Bluegrass Vascular Technologies (Bluegrass Vascular), a private medical technology company focused on innovating lifesaving devices and methods for vascular access procedures, welcomes the recent publication of the 2019 Update to National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vascular Access. The completely revamped new guidelines, published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD), emphasize a patient-focused approach to vascular access care focusing on the preservation of vessels which may be needed for future access.
“The new KDOQI Vascular Access Guidelines focus on the importance of access succession planning and recommend prioritizing a patient’s longer-term access needs when considering current options,” stated Monnie Wasse, M.D., M.P.H, Vice Chairperson and Director of Interventional Nephrology and Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology at Rush Medical College, who was also a co-investigator of the U.S. IDE Study for the Surfacer System. “This includes avoiding left-sided placement of central venous catheters, when possible, since placement is associated with increased risk of central venous stenosis and can therefore limit subsequent vascular access options.”
According to the KDOQI guidelines, the ideal access site for hemodialysis catheters is the right internal jugular vein. This preferred right-sided access path is supported by the Surfacer System’s novel Don’t Go Left™ approach. The use of the Surfacer device also avoids left-side catheter placement, better enabling the maturation of permanent arteriovenous access options in the left arm and minimizing unnecessary access-related procedures and complications.
“We are pleased with the emphasis the new guidelines place on preserving vessels for future access. This strongly aligns with the Surfacer System’s “Don’t Go Left” approach,” stated Gabriele Niederauer, Ph.D., CEO and President of Bluegrass Vascular. “For hemodialysis patients with right-sided central venous obstructions, the Surfacer System offers patients a reliable and repeatable solution for right-sided catheter placement, avoiding the need to place catheters on the left side. Bluegrass Vascular looks forward to supporting the implementation of these new guidelines.”
The Surfacer System has received FDA De Novo device clearance and is CE marked. The device is currently distributed in North America and Europe by Merit Medical, a global distributor of medical devices.
About the Surfacer® Inside-Out® Access Catheter System
The Surfacer System is designed to reliably, efficiently and repeatedly gain central venous access by inserting the Surfacer System through the right femoral vein and navigating it up through the patient’s venous system with an exit point in the right internal jugular vein, the optimal location for placing a central venous catheter. This proprietary Inside-Out approach allows for the placement and maturation of permanent arteriovenous access options that are associated with improved patient outcomes and reduced cost of care for both hospitals and hemodialysis providers.
About Bluegrass Vascular Technologies
Bluegrass Vascular Technologies is a medical technology company dedicated to developing and commercializing lifesaving devices and methods that address shortcomings in vascular access procedures. For more information, please visit bluegrassvascular.com.