Six-year experience with bovine arterial graft for hemodialysis.

During the last six years 29 bovine arterial grafts were implanted in 21 patients. A total of 186 angioaccesses had been performed on these patients prior to the insertion of bovine graft. Nineteen grafts (65.5%) are still patent with a mean patency time of 43 months. Ten grafts (34.5%) failed, the main cause of failure being infection. The cumulative patency of failed grafts was 46 months.