Vascular access for chronic haemodialysis in Lombardy

To evaluate the organisation of vascular access surgery, the techniques used to monitor surgical access and the central catheters, a survey was conducted amongst dialysis Units of Lombardy. A questionnaire was sent out to the 43 dialysis centres in Lombardy, 96% of which replied. In almost 90% of dialysis units nephrologists perform vascular access albeit in close cooperation with vascular surgeons for the more complex cases. First choice access is by distal arteriovenous fistula (AVF): 36% end-to-end, 31.7% side-to-end, and 19.5% side-to-side with distal ligature of the vein. As second choice proximal AVF is more widely used than AV grafts, which are implanted only when all native vessels and related surgical procedures are exhausted. Central venous catheters offer valid solutions not only as temporary access, but also as an alternative permanent one. In both cases the jugular vein is the most frequent site of insertion. Despite the documented incidence of related episodes of stenosis/obstruction, the subclavian vein is used as a temporary access in quite a high per-centage of cases. Only in selected cases are diagnostic procedures (mainly Venography and Doppler studies) performed prior to permanent access choice. Similarly vascular access is monitored mainly using a recirculation test albeit not routinely. In case of vascular access thrombosis, surgical revision is the most common approach.     

Outcomes of Elderly Patients after Predialysis Vascular Access Creation

Uniform vascular access guidelines for elderly patients may be inappropriate because of the competing risk of death, high rate of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation failure, and poor vascular access outcomes in this population. However, the outcomes in elderly patients with advanced CKD who receive permanent vascular access before dialysis initiation are unclear. We identified a large nationally representative cohort of 3418 elderly patients (aged ≥70 years) with CKD undergoing predialysis AVF or arteriovenous graft (AVG) creation from 2004 to 2009, and assessed the frequencies of dialysis initiation, death before dialysis initiation, and dialysis-free survival for 2 years after vascular access creation. In all, 67% of patients with predialysis AVF and 71% of patients with predialysis AVG creation initiated dialysis within 2 years of access placement, but the overall risk of dialysis initiation was modified by patient age and race. Only one half of patients initiated dialysis with a functioning AVF or AVG; 46.8% of AVFs were created <90 days before dialysis initiation. Catheter dependence at dialysis initiation was more common in patients receiving predialysis AVF than in patients receiving AVG (46.0% versus 28.5%; P<0.001). In conclusion, most elderly patients with advanced CKD who received predialysis vascular access creation initiated dialysis within 2 years. As a consequence of late predialysis placement or maturation failure, almost one half of patients receiving AVFs initiated dialysis with a catheter. Insertion of an AVG closer to dialysis initiation may serve as a “catheter-sparing” approach and allow delay of permanent access placement in selected elderly patients with CKD.     

Reversal of steal syndrome following creation of arteriovenous fistula by banding with a Gore-Tex cuff: a new technique

Steal syndrome, especially in elderly patients with peripheral vascular disease, is a serious complication following creation of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) that, if neglected, can lead to amputation. The classic maneuver to deal with the steal syndrome is the ligation of the AVF and performance of another procedure to gain dialysis access. We describe a simple technique of effectively reversing the steal syndrome by banding the vein of the AVF with a ringed Gore-Tex cuff that salvages the AVF and allows its immediate use for dialysis.     

Successful reversal of steal syndrome following creation of arteriovenous fistula by banding with a ringed Gore-Tex cuff: a new technique

Steal syndrome, especially in elderly patients with peripheral vascular disease, is a serious complication following creation of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) that, if neglected, can lead to amputation. The classic maneuver to deal with the steal syndrome is ligating the AVF and performing another procedure to gain dialysis access. We describe a simple technique of effectively reversing the steal syndrome by banding the vein of the AVF with a ringed Gore-Tex cuff that salvages the AVF and allows its immediate use for dialysis.     

Vascular access outcomes in the elderly hemodialysis population: A USRDS study

Arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) are widely regarded as the preferred vascular access in hemodialysis (HD) patients due to their primary patency and patient survival benefits. Recent scholarship has suggested that the elderly population differs significantly from the general population in terms of inflammatory markers. What is more, recent studies have suggested that the elderly HD population is less likely to have an AVF placed as the initial vascular access compared to a younger cohort. The purpose of this study is to investigate the applicability of current vascular access guidelines to the elderly HD population. We hypothesized that the elderly HD population would derive less patency and survival benefit from AVF placement relative to arteriovenous graft (AVG) than the general population is known to derive. We performed a retrospective analysis using the US Renal Data System (USRDS) Wave II dataset to explore significant predictors of referral for intervention or access failure, and patient survival in the elderly US HD population using Cox regression corrected for race, gender, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and nutritional status. Of the 1471 HD patients with AVF or AVG, 764 patients were >65 years. Elderly diabetics had no significant mortality benefit from the use of AVF compared to AVG [odds ratio (OR) 1.34 (95% CI 0.92-1.95), p = 0.123]. Likewise, elderly nondiabetics had no significant mortality benefit from the use of AVF compared to AVG [OR 1.05 (95% CI 0.81-1.36), p = 0.735]. Elderly diabetics had no difference in odds for intervention referral for AVF compared to AVG [OR 1.49 (95% CI 0.76-2.9), p = 0.24]. Elderly nondiabetics had no difference in odds for intervention referral for AVF compared to AVG [OR 1.48 (95% CI 0.95-2.3), p = 0.08]. We conclude that the potential benefits derived from AVFs compared with AVGs and central venous catheters (CVC) may not apply universally. The recommendations of vascular access choice stipulated by national guidelines may need to be modified for elderly patients.     

Axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein graft fistula in chronic hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND: Vascular access failure is a severe and common complication for hemodialysis patients. The possible vascular access sites are limited in dialysis patients. Axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is one of the possibilities. However, the clinical outcome of this procedure is still un-defined. OBJECT: The purpose of this study is to review the clinical outcome of axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein AVF as a hemodialysis vascular access. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed native or graft arteriovenous fistula records for chronic hemodialysis patients at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from January 1986 to March 2001. Records were reviewed for all chronic hemodialysis patients, with more than 2000 individuals receiving more than 10,000 fistulas. Eight patients received axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein AVF. RESULTS: The mean age for these patients was 61.7 +/- 16.3 year-old at time of surgery. All patients had received multiple native or graft arteriovenous fistula creation. The 2-year and 4-year AVF graft survival is 87.5% and 43.8% respectively. One patients developed brachial plexopathy after operation. Another patient had venous hypertension distal to the AVF site. Both patients were managed conservatively. There is no AVF-related mortality in these patients. CONCLUSION: We conclude that axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein graft fistula may be a feasible alternative choice for chronic hemodialysis access.     

Investigation of vascular access in maintenance hemodialysis patients in Shanxi province

Objective To understand the current situation of vascular access selection in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients in Shanxi Province, and analyze the factors affecting vascular access selection and risk factors of death in MHD patients. Methods MHD patients with clear vascular access information in Shanxi Province from January 2014 to December 2018 were enrolled in this study. The clinical data of patients were collected. The vascular access information of the selected candidates was clear. Multivariate logistic regression equation method was used to analyze the influencing factors of vascular access and the risk factors of death in MHD patients. Results Among the 10.236 patients with MHD, 9.130 patients (89.2%) selected autologous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) as vascular access, and 5.138 patients (50.2%) chose tunnel-free and non-polyester sheath central venous catheter (NCC) for the first dialysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the primary disease of diabetic nephropathy (OR=0.517, 95%CI 0.281-0.796, P＜0.001) and dialysis age＜1 year (OR=0.483, 95%CI 0.219-0.811, P＜0.001) were the influencing factors of patients with MHD who did not to choose AVF. Primary disease of diabetic nephropathy (OR=2.242, 95% CI 1.816-2.828, P＜0.001), and using of central vein catheter (OR=1.785, 95% CI 1.237-2.579, P＜0.001) were independent risk factors of death in MHD patients. Conclusions AVF is the first choice for MHD patients in Shanxi Province. There is higher proportion of the use of NCC as the first dialysis vascular access. Primary disease of diabetic nephropathy and dialysis age＜1 year are the influencing factors for MHD patients not to choose AVF. Primary disease of diabetic nephropathy and use of central vein catheter may increase the risk of death in MHD patients.     

The natural history of autologous fistulas as first-time dialysis access in the KDOQI era

BACKGROUND: Patients on hemodialysis depend on durable, easily maintained vascular access. The autologous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) has been the gold standard since the introduction of the Brecia-Cimino fistula in 1966 and is echoed in the current Kidney Disease Outcomes and Quality Initiative (KDOQI) guidelines. The purpose of this study is to determine the natural history of AVF in patients requiring first-time permanent access in a large academic vascular surgery practice. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing new access creation from January 1, 2005 to June 30, 2005. The study group consisted of patients with no prior permanent access that underwent AVF creation. Categorical data was compared using chi2 analysis, nominal data was compared using Student t-test, and patency was determined by Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: During the 6-month period, there were 80 first time AVF creations. The majority of patients were male (69%), African American (55%), and a history of diabetes (55%) and hypertension (96%). Seventy-five percent of patients were already undergoing hemodialysis via catheter access. Seventy-six percent of patients underwent preoperative vein mapping with a mean vein diameter of 3.1 mm. Twenty-six radiocephalic AVF (RCAVF) and 54 brachiocephalic AVF (BCAVF) were created with a mean follow-up of 278 days. At the end of follow-up, 38 (48%) AVF were being used for hemodialysis and only nine (11%) matured without the need for additional intervention. Mean time for AVF maturation was 146 days. Thirty AVF (37%) were abandoned, 16 (20%) of which were primary failures. Mean time to abandonment was 162 days. Twelve (15%) AVF remained patent but were never cannulated. The intervention rate was 1.33 interventions/patient/year and 75% of interventions were percutaneous. Kaplan-Meier analysis determined primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency was 36% +/- 8.3, 55% +/- 6.5, and 55% +/- 6.5 at 1 year, respectively. Cumulative functional patency was 63% at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: In patients receiving a first time permanent access, we found that the majority were AVF and they resulted in low primary patency rates at 1 year and long maturation times. KDOQI encourages AVF creation in order to increase AVF use for dialysis, but the strategy of simply increasing the number being created may not lead to the desired result and potentially lead to an increase in catheter dependence.     

The application status of vascular access at initiation of hemodialysis in patients with end stage renal disease—a single center study

Objective To investigate the types and outcome of vascular access in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) initiated hemodialysis (HD), and provide the basis for advancing the proportion of planned HD with arteriovenous fistula (AVF). Methods Clinical data, vascular access types at the initiation of HD, the outcomes of all types of dialysis access and the conversion of renal replacement therapy of ESRD patients who initiated HD in the first affiliated hospital of zhejiang university between January 2009 and December 2011 were retrospectively studied. Results A total of 836 patients were included in our study. Among them 510 were males and 326 were females. The average age was (49.77±17.65) years old. The major primary diseases were primary glomerular disease (72.73%), diabetic nephropathy (11.60%)and hypertensive nephrosclerosis (3.95%). Only 73 patients (8.73%) used AVF as the vascular access at the initiation of HD, another 763 patients (91.27%) used central venous catheter. Six months after the start of dialysis, 542 patients (81.5%) had used AVF as permanent vascular access, 123 patients (18.5%)had used the tunneled cuffed catheter, 54 patients had received a transplant and 55 patients had converted to peritoneal dialysis. The results of logistic regression analysis suggested that being male, patients from outside hangzhou and patients whose glomerular filtration rate were lower than 5 ml•min-1•(1.73 m2)-1 were the risk factors of using central venous catheters at the initiation of HD. Conclusions Only a minority of patients used AVF at the initiation of HD, but most of the other patients switched to AVF within the following six months. Increasing the proportion of AVF as the vascular access of planned HD is still our current goal.     

Slow maturation of arterio-venous fistula in seven uremic patients: use of Ash Split Cath(R) as temporary, prolonged vascular access

The temporary vascular access is the essential condition required to perfrom hemodialysis in uremic patients in the absence of a permanent and utilizable vascular access. The cannulation of a central vein with a dual lumen catheter may be useful when a few weeks are required for the maturation of AVF. Longer times for AVF maturation (such as in diabetic patients and in aged patients) impose the use of a tunnelled catheter such as Tesio Catheter or Hickman Catheter which lead to minor complications and more efficient dialysis treatment. The Ash Split Cath(R), a recently introduced chronic hemodialysis catheter, provides dialysis via a transcutaneous portion containing a 14 French cylindrical shaped catheter with D-shaped lumens and a dacron cuff. Due to the slow maturing of AVF, in our Department the Ash Split Cath has been used in 7 uremic patients (3 males and 4 females) who required hemodialysis. The cannulation of the internal jugular vein was performed by an ultrasound assisted technique and the correct catheter position was verified by standard chest X-rays. The average blood flowrates were 250 ml/min, and the mean KT/V calculated in all patients one month after the beginning of the dialytic therapy was 1.09 +/- 0.02. In six patients the catheter was utilized for at least 4 months, in one patient for 8 months. The devices were easily removed when the patient's AVF was functional and usable. We found that the use of the Ash Split Cath as a temporary, prolonged vascular access in uremic patients was op-timal allowing for flexibility in organizing the dialysis treatment schedule and in yielding a good performance in the initial dialysis therapy. Moreover, this device allows, in these patients, a satisfactory dialysis efficiency.     

Axillary Artery to Contralateral Axillary Vein Graft Fistula in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients

Background.?Vascular access failure is a severe and common complication for hemodialysis patients. The possible vascular access sites are limited in dialysis patients. Axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is one of the possibilities. However, the clinical outcome of this procedure is still un-defined. Object.?The purpose of this study is to review the clinical outcome of axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein AVF as a hemodialysis vascular access. Patients and Methods.?We retrospectively reviewed native or graft arteriovenous fistula records for chronic hemodialysis patients at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from 01 1986 to 03 2001. Records were reviewed for all chronic hemodialysis patients, with more than 2000 individuals receiving more than 10,000 fistulas. Eight patients received axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein AVF. Results.?The mean age for these patients was 61.7 ± 16.3 year-old at time of surgery. All patients had received multiple native or graft arteriovenous fistula creation. The 2-year and 4-year AVF graft survival is 87.5% and 43.8% respectively. One patients developed brachial plexopathy after operation. Another patient had venous hypertension distal to the AVF site. Both patients were managed conservatively. There is no AVF-related mortality in these patients. Conclusion. We conclude that axillary artery to contralateral axillary vein graft fistula may be a feasible alternative choice for chronic hemodialysis access.     

Management of vascular access for hemodialysis after successful kidney transplantation

OBJECTIVE: There is a lack of data concerning the fate of arterio-venous fistulas (AVF) after successful kidney transplantation. The objective of this study was to assess the evolution of AVF in transplanted patients and to discuss the management of such vascular access once dialysis has been stopped. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed 160 renal transplant patients who had undergone an AVF 0 to 312 months (mean 29) before transplantation. 136 (85%) of AVF were created in the forearm/wrist region and 21 (13%) at the elbow. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 69 months from renal transplantation and 95 months from constitution of the AVF. Vascular access had to be closed in 7.5% of cases. Thrombosis occurred in 31% of cases, mainly in distal fistulas (85%). AVF was still functional in 61% of patients at the end of follow-up. CONCLUSION: AVF remains functional in the majority of patients after renal transplantation and is not usually associated with any significant morbidity. Systematic closure of AVF does not seem warranted as it would deprive patients of a useful vascular access should dialysis become again necessary in the long term.     

Vascular access use in Europe and the United States: results from the DOPPS.

BACKGROUND: A direct broad-based comparison of vascular access use and survival in Europe (EUR) and the United States (US) has not been performed previously. Case series reports suggest that vascular access practices differ substantially in the US and EUR. We report on a representative study (DOPPS) which has used the same data collection protocol for> 6400 hemodialysis (HD) patients to compare vascular access use at 145 US dialysis units and 101 units in five EUR countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom). METHODS: Logistic analysis evaluated factors associated with native arteriovenous fistula (AVF) versus graft use or permanent access versus catheter use for prevalent and incident HD patients. Times to failure for AVF and graft were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: AVF was used by 80% of EUR and 24% of US prevalent patients, and was significantly associated with younger age, male gender, lower body mass index, non-diabetic status, lack of peripheral vascular disease, and no angina. After adjusting for these factors, AVF versus graft use was still much higher in EUR than US (AOR=21, P < 0.0001). AVF use within facilities varied from 0 to 87% (median 21%) in the US, and 39 to 100% (median 83%) in EUR. For patients who were new to HD, access use was: 66% AVF in EUR versus 15% in US (AOR=39, P < 0.0001), 31% catheters in EUR vs. 60% in US, and 2% grafts in EUR vs. 24% in US. In addition, 25% of EUR and 46% of US incident patients did not have a permanent access placed prior to starting HD. In EUR, 84% of new HD patients had seen a nephrologist for> 30 days prior to ESRD compared with 74% in the US (P < 0.0001); pre-ESRD care was associated with increased odds of AVF versus graft use (AOR=1.9, P=0.01). New HD patients had a 1.8-fold greater odds (P=0.002) of starting HD with a permanent access if a facility's typical time from referral to access placement was < or =2 weeks. AVF use when compared to grafts was substantially lower (AOR=0.61, P=0.04) when surgery trainees assisted or performed access placements. When used as a patient's first access, AVF survival was superior to grafts regarding time to first failure (RR=0.53, P=0.0002), and AVF survival was longer in EUR compared with the US (RR=0.49, P=0.0005). AVF and grafts each displayed better survival if used when initiating HD compared with being used after patients began dialysis with a catheter. CONCLUSION: Large differences in vascular access use exist between EUR and the US, even after adjustment for patient characteristics. The results strongly suggest that a facility's preferences and approaches to vascular access practice are major determinants of vascular access use.     

Looking Beyond “Fistula First” in the Elderly on Hemodialysis

Vascular access preparation, a pervasive challenge in hemodialysis (HD), is emerging as a multidimensional subject in geriatric nephrology. Previously published guidelines declared arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) as the preferred vascular access for all patients on HD. In this article, the benefit–risk evidence for using AVF versus an alternative access (arteriovenous graft [AVG] or tunneled central venous catheter [TCVC]) in the elderly is pondered. Compared to their younger counterparts, the elderly have significantly lower survival rates independent of the vascular access used for HD. Recent studies point to comparable dialysis survival rates between AVF and AVG or TCVC in subgroups of elderly patients, as well as lower rates of access‐related infections, and lower catheter dependence after AVG compared to AVF construction in these patients. Comprehensive and longitudinal assessments that integrate comorbidities, physical function, cognitive status, and quality of life to estimate prognosis and assist with vascular access selection ought to be employed. In circumstances where patient survival is limited by comorbidities and functional status, AVF is unlikely to confer meaningful benefits compared to AVG or even TCVC in the ill elderly.     

Using cuffed and tunnelled central venous catheters as permanent vascular access for hemodialysis: a prospective study

BACKGROUND: Adequate care of a hemodialysis patient requires constant attention to the need to maintain vascular access (VA) patency. VA complications are the main cause of hospitalization in hemodialysis patients. The native arteriovenous fistula (NAVF), synthetic arteriovenous grafts fistula (GAVF) and silastic cuffed central venous catheters (CVCs) are used for permanent vascular access (PVA). CVCs are primary the method of choice for temporary access. But using this access modality is increasing more and more for PVA in elderly hemodialysis patients and when other PVA is not possible. The primary aim of this study is to investigate survivals and complications of the CVCs used for long-term VA. METHODS: We prospectively looked at 92 CVCs (Medcomp Ash Split Cath, 14 FR x 28 cm (Little, M.A.; O'Riordan, A.; Lucey, B.; Farrell, M.; Lee, M.; Conlon, P.J.; Walshe, J.J. A prospective study of complications associated with cuffed, tunnelled hemodialysis catheters. Nephrol. Dial. Transplant. 2001, 16 (11), 2194-2200) with Dacron cuff) inserted in 85 (50 females, 35 males) chronic hemodialysis patients (the mean age: 56.6 +/- 14.1 years) from July 1999 to January 2002. The overall survival and complications were followed up. Furthermore, the patients were evaluated for demographic and clinical characteristics. Data were analysed by chi-square, Wilcoxon rank and Kaplan-Meier survival tests. RESULTS: The median duration of CVC survival was 289 days (range: 10-720). Eleven (11.9%) CVCs were removed due to complications. In 79 (92.9%) patients, 1, in 5 (5.8%) patients, 2 and in 1 patient, 3 CVCs were inserted. Of the 85 patients, 56 have CVCs functioning. In addition, 27 (31.76%) patients have CVCs functioning for over 12 months, 17 (20%) patients have CVCs functioning for 6 months. The total incidence of CVC related infections was 0.82 episodes/1000 catheter days. Besides, thrombosis was occurred in 10 (10.8%) CVCs. The most frequent indications for CVC removal were patient death (69.4%), thrombosis (16.6%) and CVC-related infections (13.8%). CONCLUSIONS: CVCs are primarily used for temporary access. But this study indicates that CVC may be a very useful alternative permanent vascular access for hemodialysis patients when other forms of vascular access are not available.     

Parathyroidectomy in patients on renal replacement therapy: an epidemiologic study

Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a frequent complication of long-term dialysis treatment, and despite recent advances in medical therapy, surgical parathyroidectomy (PTx) is necessary in a considerable number of uremic patients. A prevalence of PTx of 22% was reported in Europe in 1988 in patients on dialysis from 10 to 15 yr, but no large-scale epidemiologic study has been published since then. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for PTx in patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Lombardy and to determine whether the incidence has changed over time. The study involved 14,180 patients included in the Lombardy Registry of Dialysis and Transplantation who received RRT for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) between 1983 and 1996. Cox-proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the risk factors of PTx, the explanatory covariates being age on admission to RRT, gender, underlying renal disease (nondiabetic or diabetic nephropathy), and dialysis modality (peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis). The prevalence of PTx in the 7371 ERSD patients who were alive on December 31, 1996, was 5.5% and increased with the duration of RRT (9.2% after 10 to 15 yr, 20.8% after 16 to 20 yr). Similarly, the incidence of PTx increased from 3.3 per 1000 patient-years in patients who had been on RRT for <5 yr to 30 per 1000 patient-years in those receiving RRT for >10 yr. The Cox regression models showed that the relative risk for PTx was significantly higher in women and lower in elderly and diabetic patients. The relative risk for PTx (adjusted for gender, age, and nephropathy) was higher in the patients on peritoneal dialysis than in those on hemodialysis and decreased after transplantation. During the course of a follow-up of 7 yr, the incidence of PTx in patients who started RRT between 1990 and 1992 was no different from that observed in patients who started RRT between 1983 and 1985. In conclusion, the prevalence and incidence of PTx in patients receiving RRT in Lombardy is lower than that in Europe and Italy as a whole, as reported by the 1988 European Dialysis and Transplantation Association Registry; its frequency has not changed significantly during the past few years. The need for PTx decreases markedly after successful transplantation. The epidemiologic finding that the rate of PTx is greater in women, young patients, and individuals who do not have diabetes suggests the need for a more aggressive medical treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism particularly in such patients.     

Impact of ultrasonographic vascular mapping on constructing autogenous arteriovenous fistulas for permanent hemodialysis access?

PURPOSE: We used high resolution ultrasonography to identify usable veins and arteries in the forearm for creation of autogenous arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) for permanent hemodialysis access. The effect of preoperative vascular mapping followed by intraoperative controls on the outcome of AVF should be reported. METHODS: study subjects were adults referred for primary permanent hemodialysis access between January 2001 and November 2002. In all patients sonographic assessment was performed before surgical evaluation. A feeding artery was considered adequate if the diameter was more than 1.5 mm, the vein more than 2.0 mm. All AVF were controlled by intraoperative sonographic measurements of PSV and diameter of the fistula-vein. RESULTS: AVF were placed in 94.1% of all patients. The early failure rate of AVF was 6.3%. Primary patency rate of AVF after 24 hours: 93.7%, after 30 days: 91.4%, after 3 months: 86.9%, preliminary patency rate after 1 year: 70.1%. No unsuccessful surgical explorations were performed. 85.5 % of AVF were constructed as forearm fistulas. Suboptimal vessels (artery < 2.0 mm, vein < 3.0 mm) were used in 31.3% of patients. Patency rates did not differ in this subgroup. In 2 patients synthetic grafts were placed because of non-maturation of AVF. In 15 patients the AVF had to be cannulated by experts for 3 to 6 months. 50.0% of all AVF were constructed in diabetic patients. Patency rates were equal to that of non-diabetic patients. No patient suffered on signs of steal-syndrome. CONCLUSION: the assessment of forearm vessels by high resolution sonographic vascular mapping helps to find the optimal location for constructing an arteriovenous wrist fistula in almost all patients needing a permanent hemodialysis access. The aggressive approach to the creation of autogenous fistulas could be realized without unsuccessful surgical explorations and with a minimal early failure rate, a high maturation rate including patients with diabetes mellitus and no signs of steal-syndrome     

A Vascular Access Team Can Increase AV Fistula Creation in Pediatric ESRD Patients: A Single Center Experience

The National Kidney Foundation Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF‐DOQI) recommends the use of a permanent vascular access for pediatric hemodialysis (HD) patients; however, central venous catheters are the most common vascular access used among children. In children receiving HD, central venous catheters, while suboptimal, are the most common vascular access used. As such, it is imperative that pediatric HD providers optimize vascular access techniques. We report outcomes of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation by a single surgeon in pediatric HD patients dialyzed at a single center. We further describe our experience and outcomes with the use of the operating microscope in the United States in children receiving HD under 15 kg in weight and as young as 4 years of age. AVF usage rates as well as short‐ and long‐term patency rates can be quite high with proper management. We further illustrate that the Fistula First principles can be applied to the pediatric population in the setting of a single surgeon with single center experience. As such, we have surpassed the current NKF‐DOQI recommendation of 50% fistula use in prevalent HD patients.     

Improvements in dialysis access survival with increasing use of arteriovenous fistulas in a Veterans Administration medical center

BACKGROUND: Native arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) have been found to exhibit higher survival rates and lower complication rates than prosthetic grafts (AVGs). METHODS: Between August 2001 and December 2003, 93 patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) had primary dialysis access placed at a single Veterans Administration medical center. Of these 93 patients, 67 had AVFs created and 26 patients had AVGs implanted. RESULTS: The percentage of patients who did not require additional intervention was 84% (56 of 67) for AVF and 78% (21 of 26) for AVG after 4 to 31 months of follow-up evaluation. In the AVF group, repeat interventions were as follows: collateral ligation (4), angioplasty owing to central stenosis (2), AVF ligation due to arterial steal phenomenon (1), and new AVF creation owing to clotting (1). Four AVFs were later converted to AVG. In the AVG group there were 4 venous anastomosis stenosis seen in 3 patients who required angioplasty. Two patients needed thrombectomy and revision, and 1 graft was removed because of infection. AVF prevalence in our dialysis patients was 63%, with 33% AVG and 4% temporary catheter. CONCLUSIONS: The National Kidney Foundation-Dialysis Outcome Quality Initiative (NKF-DOQI) guidelines for dialysis access reawakened interest in maximizing the use of renal veins for AVF. AVFs created by using the patient's native vein provides the best vascular access for dialysis when compared with prosthetic grafts. AVF has better long-term patency with fewer complications.     

Surgery versus interventional radiology in the management of thrombosed vascular access for hemodialysis

Thrombosis is the most frequent complication occurring in vascular access (VA). The two widely used treatment strategies for thrombosed VA are surgical and endovascular. Which is the best and whether different approaches should be used on proximal versus distal VA, is still debated. This is a retrospective study. Over a three years period, we studied among a population of 475 dialysis patients, 54 VA thromboses in 46 patients. Surgical procedure was successful in 14/17 (82%) distal artero-venous fistulas (AVF) while, in 9 proximal AVF, it led to initial success in 6 patients (66%), with a six months primary patency respectively of 93% and 84%. Radiological procedure resolved 6/10 distal AVF (initial success 60%) with primary patency of 66%, and was successful in 16/18 proximal AVF (initial success 89%) with primary patency of 81%. Taking our data all together, no differences are found between two thrombolitic (surgical and endovascular) procedures. But results were different in thrombosed proximal VA (where endovascular treatment should be preferred) versus distal ones (where surgery seems better).