New VasQ™ technology is designed to improve vascular access and long-term outcomes for patients who depend on dialysis
Providence St. Joseph Hospital has become the first hospital in Orange County — and the first across the Providence health system — to offer an innovative technology designed to improve vascular access for patients who depend on dialysis.
Dr. Xuan-Binh (Ben) Pham and the hospital’s operating room team recently performed the first implantation of the VasQ™ device, marking an important advancement in dialysis access care available to patients in the region.
For people with kidney disease who require long-term dialysis, reliable vascular access is critical. An arteriovenous fistula, which connects an artery and vein to provide access for dialysis, is generally preferred for long-term treatment. However, fistulas can sometimes fail to mature properly or develop problems that interfere with their ability to function effectively.
The VasQ™ device is designed to support fistula maturation and function by improving the geometry and blood flow at the connection between the artery and vein. The goal is to create more reliable, durable access for dialysis and potentially reduce complications and the need for additional interventions.
For patients who rely on dialysis several times each week, those improvements can have a meaningful impact on their treatment experience and quality of life.
Bringing the technology to Orange County required collaboration among Dr. Pham and a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, technologists and operating room caregivers at St. Joseph Hospital.
The milestone is part of a broader commitment by St. Joseph Hospital and the Orange County/High Desert Heart & Vascular Institute to expand access to advanced cardiovascular and vascular treatments close to home.
As the first team within Providence to use VasQ™, the St. Joseph team also has an opportunity to help advance understanding and adoption of the technology across the health system.
For Dr. Pham and the team, however, the significance of the achievement ultimately comes back to the patients who depend on dialysis to live — and finding better ways to make that care safer, more reliable and more effective.
