Paclitaxel coating on the terminal portion of hemodialysis grafts effectively suppresses neointimal hyperplasia in a porcine model.

Objective: The local delivery of paclitaxel onto a graft has been reported to prevent neointimal hyperplasia. Because more than half of vascular stenoses occur within 3 cm of the venous anastomosis, this study tested the effectiveness of a paclitaxel coating restricted to both ends of the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) graft to reduce the amount of drug delivered.

Methods: Both ends of ePTFE grafts were coated with paclitaxel at a dose of 0.