GRAFTWERK: A structured approach for optimising dialysis grafts

Patients with renal failure depend on multiple dialysis sessions per week to purify the blood from waste substances. During a dialysis session, an artificial kidney is connected to the bloodstream of the patient. Because there are no blood vessels in the human body that are suitable for connecting an artificial kidney, the blood vessels required for this are surgically created. Often, a so-called graft is used for this: a plastic vessel that is connected between an artery and a vein. Unfortunately, these grafts often only function 2 years, after which a new graft has to be constructed. This is of course a major burden for these patients. This thesis investigated how, with the help of computer models, a graft can be designed that can achieve longer durability. Multiple graft adjustments are proposed that can be beneficial for the durability of a graft. Future experimental studies have to show if these graft adjustments indeed lead to better clinical performance.