Thrombolysis with alteplase: a non-invasive treatment for occluded arteriovenous fistulas and grafts.

Thrombolysis with recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA) has been successfully used in occluded arteriovenous (AV) hemodialysis grafts and tunneled catheters, especially as an adjunctive regimen to invasive or semi-invasive procedures. We performed a retrospective study to evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of thrombolysis with t-PA in occluded AV hemodialysis accesses. We used low doses of t-PA in 40 cases of thrombosed AV fistulas and grafts.