A 49-year-old Tristate woman has become the first patient in the United States to test a new procedure that could save costs and improve the quality of life for people who depend on kidney dialysis.

        The woman was treated June 27 at University Hospital with radioactive seeds to prevent reclogging of her dialysis graft — an extremely common problem with dialysis treatment. In coming months, about 230 patients will receive similar treatment at 20 medical centers in North America and Europe.

        “This is a huge problem. It's the most common cause of hospitalization for dialysis patients,” said Dr. Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, a Cincinnati kidney specialist and lead investigator of the study.

        The BRAVO (Beta Radiation for treatment of Arterial-Venous graft Outflow) clinical trial will test the safety and effectiveness of a radioactive seed device made by Georgia-based Novoste Corp.

        The goal is to combat a common problem facing the 230,000 Americans — including about 2,000 Tristate residents — who have suffered kidney failure and have their blood cleaned by dialysis machines.

        About 70 percent of all dialysis patients have special grafts that allow easy access to the blood vessels in their arms. But those grafts frequently become clogged.

        When that happens, patients typically get clot-busting drugs, then balloon angioplasties, then surgeries to install new grafts.

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