HeRO Vascular Access Device 

HeRO Vascular Access Device (Hemodialysis Reliable Outflow) - A New Option For Long-Term Dialysis Patients

Vascular surgeons at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital were the third site in the United States to implant the FDA approved HeRO device.

In 2005 there were over 336,000 people needing renal dialysis as a lifesaving treatment for malfunctioning kidneys according to National Kidney Foundation. Dialysis requires frequent vascular access to the persons veins in order to circulate the blood to cleanse the liquids and waste that normally would be removed by working kidneys. The cleansed blood is then returned back into the body.

Vascular access simply means the ability to create and maintain access to a persons bloodstream, which is crucial for effective dialysis and other medical treatments.

The surgery combines endovascular and surgical skills to implant this device in patients who have lost all of the major veins in their chest area. The four components of the HeRO device: catheter, pre-connected graft assembly, a crimp ring and a sleeve are custom-fitted to the patients anatomy as they are implanted. The sleeve is made of silicone to provide covering that reduces kinking. The HeRO device then provides the patient with a successful under-the-skin vascular access for ongoing dialysis.

The HeRO device is surgically implanted to provide long-term vascular access for chronic dialysis patients who have exhausted other access options.

Dialysis patients who are catheter dependent, have exhausted all other access options (such as grafts and fistulas), are receiving inadequate dialysis or have other compromising health issues may be good candidates for the HeRO device.

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Reprinted with permission of Hemosphere, Inc.