ISN-IPNA Webinar: Vascular access for chronic pediatric hemodialysis
- 2 PM CEST
The Guatemalan Foundation for Children with Kidney Diseases, established in 2003, created the country’s first and only comprehensive pediatric nephrology and hemodialysis program. Initially, the absence of local expertise in permanent vascular access (VA) for children led to reliance on temporary, non-cuffed catheters—many placed via subclavian access—posing long-term complications. Recognizing this gap, the Foundation partnered with a team of experienced vascular access surgeons to launch a surgical training initiative aimed at building sustainable local capacity. From 2015 to 2017, three pediatric VA surgical missions were conducted, during which international surgeons collaborated with local teams to perform arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) and provide hands-on training. These missions prioritized knowledge transfer, promoted multidisciplinary teamwork, and laid the groundwork for establishing a durable VA program adapted to the regional context.
Learning objectives:
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Review the current epidemiology and burden of pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Central America.
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Understand the clinical and logistical importance of durable vascular access for pediatric hemodialysis in low-resource settings.
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Describe the impact and outcomes of a collaborative surgical training model in improving local VA expertise for pediatric patients.
Further reading:
Moderator
Rukshana Shroff (UK)
Speakers
Randall Lou-Meda (Guatemala)
Melvin Bonilla-Felix (Puerto Rico)
Ana Leslie Gálvez (Guatemala)