Our Services

At Southwest Vascular Access Center our procedures are done in an outpatient setting performed by skilled Interventional Nephrologists.  The outpatient setting offers more convenience for patients than the hospital, because they can often return to dialysis the same day.  Our center offers a clean, safe, and healing environment for our patients.  We perform the following procedures:

• Angiogram
• Angioplasty
• Declotting/Thrombectomy of fistulae and grafts
• Dialysis catheter placement, exchange, repair and removal
• Vessel mapping for access placement 
• Fistula creation using Ellipsys Vascular Access System

Common Reasons To Seek Access Intervention

• Poorly functioning catheter
• Prolonged bleeding after treatment
• Clotted access
• Pulsatile access
• Increased venous pressure
• Arm or hand swelling
• Aneurysm 
• Failure for the access to mature

Access Assessment

A thorough access exam can be completed efficiently prior to every dialysis session by following the guidelines of the look, listen and feel technique. Our staff provides patients with assessment education so they may take an active part in their healthcare. 

• Look: Examine the access for any signs of infection that may include redness, broken skin, or drainage.  Pay attention to any aneurysm (bulges) that is enlarging, skin that may be shiny and/or thinning. 
• Listen: Your access should have a continuous low-pitched whooshing sound (bruit). A bruit that is high pitched or whistling could indicate a narrowing is forming in the access. A bruit can best be heard with a stethoscope. 
• Feel: A healthy sensation is a vibration called a thrill. You should be able to feel a gentle buzzing in your access. A weak or absent thrill could indicate dysfunction in your access that may need to be evaluated.