interesting way to refer to a dialysis access

[sullidog]

There was a story in our local paper about a lady that has kidney disease, the paper refered her as having a steer carotid artery as her dialysis access. My question is I've never heard of an access called that, is that something new or did the paper get it wrong?
Troy

[Marsh]

I have a bovine graft.  I don't know if it was a carotid artery.   It's used instead of Gortex.

[texasstyle]

Cartoid arteries extened up the neck to supply oxygen to the neck. I'm sure positive on the location of them through out the rest of the body. I'm assuming she has a further medical complication that is requiring this. I'm curious to find out more simply because I've never heard of this. Hhmm..

[Rerun]

I think I'm going to pass out!  The thought of them putting 2 needles in my neck!  OMG!

                         

[paris]

I think Marsh has it right.  Bovine = steer, so a bovine carotid artery grafted to use as the access.  Does that make sense?  A piece of cow's carotid artery instead of using  Gortex?    Looking forward to the answer.  Maybe I will google it!

[RightSide]

I think Marsh has it right.  Bovine = steer, so a bovine carotid artery grafted to use as the access.  Does that make sense?  A piece of cow's carotid artery instead of using  Gortex? 

It would make sense,
except I would expect that the patient's immune system would attack the cow's artery as foreign and reject it, just like a transplanted organ can end up with rejection.

Perhaps they "scrub" all the antigens out of it?  I've heard they do that with replacement heart valves that are made from animal tissue.