Subcutaneous Access Graft Improves Hemodialysis Blood Flow

A proprietary graft-based solution for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) offers easier access in hemodialysis patients with limited options.

The Hemodialysis Reliable Outflow (HeRO) graft system is indicated for catheter dependent ESRD patients on long-term hemodialysis who have exhausted all other access options, such as arteriovenous (AV) fistulas (AVFs) and AV grafts (AVGs). The HeRO Graft provides a subcutaneous graft with no venous anastomosis that functions like a regular access graft during dialysis, providing superior blood flow compared with tunneled dialysis catheters (TDCs). The HeRO Graft also maintains long-term access for hemodialysis patients with central venous stenosis.


The system consists of two primary components. The first is a proprietary 53 cm long extruded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) arterial graft component (AGC) with a 6 mm inner diameter and a 7.4 mm outer diameter. PTFE beading provides kink resistance near the proprietary titanium connector, which attaches the AGC to the venous outflow component (VOC). The AGC is cannulated using standard technique.

The second component is the 40 cm long HeRO Graft VOC, with a 5 mm inner diameter and a 6.3 mm outer diameter. It is made of radiopaque silicone with braided nitinol reinforcement for kink and crush resistance, and a radiopaque marker band at the distal tip. The HeRO graft system is a product of CryoLife (Kennesaw, GA, USA), and has received the approval of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Community CE marking of approval.

“We have received positive feedback on the HeRO Graft from European physicians at medical meetings in Europe and the United States,” said Steven G. Anderson, chairman, president, and CEO of CryoLife. “We believe it will be well received in Europe because it is clinically proven to reduce infection rates by 69% as compared to tunneled dialysis catheters, which is a benefit for patients and government payors.”

Prior to the introduction of the HeRO Graft, the only option for hemodialysis patients with limited access options and central venous stenosis was access through percutaneous tunneled dialysis catheters (TDCs), which are higher cost, have high infection rates, limit a patient's lifestyle, and foster further central venous stenosis, or narrowing.

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