Three-dimensional (3D) Printed Hemodialysis Vascular Model for Increased Precision of Cannulation

Hemodialysis is the most common treatment for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). For an optimal renal replacement therapy, a patent vascular access (VA) is essential. The importance of good vascular access maintenance has been strongly supported by the guidelines (1). Various hinderances render this goal unachievable. A well-known cause of VA failure is access infiltration, which is usually overlooked in clinical practices (2). The calculated economic burden attributable to VA complication is between $16,864 -US$20,961 and more than 50% is due to access infiltration alone (3). Imaging has a pivotal pre- and post-operative role in evaluating vascular access complications. Imaging modalities such as ultrasound (US), Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) and Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) are available but their use is limited due to the limited view of plane available for visualization of vessel anatomy(4) and because of the deleterious side effects of the contrast agents used (5,6). Contrast enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) provides an excellent means of imaging the vasculature (7) which can be reconstructed in a three- dimensional(3D) print. The skill set of dialysis technician nurses play a considerable role in achieving successful cannulation of the fistula. Due oftentimes to complicated vascular anatomy, cannulation based on cutaneous anatomic landmarks and physical examination can be deceiving. Even a minor error in cannulation can impair access longevity(3). The 3D image reconstruction provides a practical solution to generate a 3D VA model which can be used by the procedurists to cannulate the patients, reducing the complications and rate of re admissions. Overall, a significant reduction in the health care cost can be achieved