03/03/2026
𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝: 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
For Diana Parasram, dialysis is not just treatment; it is survival. After being diagnosed with kidney failure, she began the difficult journey that thousands of patients face when their kidneys can no longer function on their own.
For most individuals in her situation, a dialysis catheter becomes their lifeline, commonly inserted through the jugular vein in the neck and guided into the superior vena cava (SVC), just above the heart.
But Diana’s journey was far from routine. Over time, chronic hemodialysis can damage veins, causing scarring and blockages. Diana experienced exactly that. Repeated access led to significant vein injury, leaving doctors with limited options. Attempts were made to restore her access, including procedures to assess and reopen the veins.
However, imaging revealed that there was not enough viable vein left to salvage. She was referred by the nephrology team to interventional radiology for a more advanced solution.
At the time, Diana relied on a femoral vein dialysis catheter inserted in her groin, a temporary and high-risk option. Femoral catheters are linked to higher risks of infection and serious blood clots that can travel to the lungs. For Diana, this meant living with constant danger while depending on the very treatment that kept her alive.
Faced with this challenge, the medical team chose a specialised transhepatic approach, a highly technical procedure in which a catheter is inserted through the liver into the inferior vena cava (IVC), just below the heart. This alternative route is reserved for patients who have exhausted traditional access sites.
The procedure was successfully carried out, and by the following day, Diana completed dialysis using the new catheter without complications. With the new access functioning effectively, the high-risk femoral catheter can now be safely removed.
Reflecting on her experience, Diana shared how frightening the uncertainty was, the hunger before procedures, the worry that it might not work, and the tears when she feared she was running out of options. But she also spoke of gratitude, gratitude for the doctors who remembered her case, who reassured her, and who were determined to “fix” the problem.
Today, she smiles with relief, grateful that the treatment was successful and that she can continue dialysis safely. Diana is also hopeful that she will find a donor one day.
Diana’s case emphasises not only the complexity of managing long-term kidney failure but also the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration between nephrology and interventional radiology.
When standard access fails, innovation and expertise can mean the difference between continued treatment and life-threatening complications.
For patients like Diana, dialysis access represents more than just a medical device; it embodies hope, time, and the promise of tomorrow.
