Case Report: A case of rapamycin-eluting stent for the treatment of refractory stenosis of arteriovenous fistula stenosis

For patients with repeated stenosis of autologous arteriovenous fistula, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or bare metal stent placement had limited efficacy. Rapamycin was reported to inhibit neointimal hyperplasia and keep blood vessels patent. In this study, we reported a case with refractory stenosis, i.e., a short duration of patency maintenance after each repeated PTA, which was treated with a rapamycin-eluting stent (RES). The RES extended the patency duration from 4 to 5 months on average to 14 months. The stent was used to maintain dialysis for over 30 months. RES may be an effective way to treat refractory stenosis and salvage limited vascular resources.