Biomaterials for hemodialysis access

While the optimal vascular conduit for hemodialysis is undeniably an arterialized autogenous subcutaneous vein, only a minority of end-stage renal disease patients can count on such access: the remainder require implantation of a biomaterial conduit. This paper will briefly survey current biografts used for hemodialysis access, with an emphasis on their known limitations, and will delineate the questions to be asked--and answered--in the development of optimal dialysis access grafts.