About Us
LAVAC Celebrates Successful First Year in Operation
07.01.08
Los Angeles, California. July 1, 2008 - The Los Angeles Vascular Access Center celebrates its one year anniversary this month. The center, known as LAVAC, opened its doors July of 2007. Since that time, the center which provides patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), specialized vascular access care, has performed 1669 procedures with a 96% success rate!
“The Center and the procedures we provide are making a world of difference in the lives of Southern California’s CKD and ESRD patients, physicians and caregivers,” said Dr. Jack Rubin, Medical Director of LAVAC. “We have been successful in carrying out our mission to deliver quality patient care, excellent clinical outcomes, and shorter procedure wait times for our patients.” That coupled with the state-of-the-art facility, dedicated medical team and vast list of procedures performed, has ensured LAVAC’s achievements.
Patients receiving hemodialysis treatment for ESRD require access to their bloodstream, called a “vascular access.” This access allows the patient’s blood to travel to and from the dialysis machine at a large volume and high speed so that toxins, waste and extra fluid can be removed from the body. Vascular access care is often delivered by physicians and facilities not specialized in access care, which results in patients receiving short-term solutions at the expense of long-term benefits they would receive from this specialized facility. LAVAC offers the specialized care dialysis patients require.
The group of physicians staffing LAVAC are recognized for their expertise in managing vascular access, and have several publications related to the dialysis access management that are published in peer-reviewed journals.
LAVAC offers CO2 angiography to patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). An estimated 10-20 million Americans have PAD. The use of CO2 angiograms is state-of-the-art technology to diagnose PAD, and LAVAC is the only center in the area to use it. There are two major advantages of CO2 Angios; it can be used in patients with allergies to conventional contrast media, and it can be used in patients who have chronic kidney disease without the fear of causing acute renal failure.
LAVAC has done 39 cases of lower extremity angiograms (LEA), all of which have been successful, thereby saving the limbs of 39 patients from amputation. LAVAC uses the slogan; "Angiograms Prevent Amputations” in response to the study’s successes.
LAVAC is managed by Lifeline Vascular Access, also known as RMS Lifeline Inc. Lifeline Vascular Access works with premier physician practices to develop and manage dedicated outpatient centers that provide focused, coordinated, outcome-driven vascular access procedures to patients receiving hemodialysis treatment for ESRD. Lifeline Vascular Access recently received the Gold Seal of Approval™ from the Joint Commission. Joint Commission accreditation is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting high healthcare performance standards.
LAVAC is located at 323 North Prairie Avenue, Suite 114 in Inglewood, CA. The 17 member nephrology practice treats approximately 1,300 ESRD patients. Information regarding the center and their services can be found at www.lavac.net or by calling (310) 674-9300
