Ultrasound evaluation and interventional therapy for peripheral vascular access stenosis in dialysis patients

Objective To investigate the patency rate and restenosis after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for the treatment of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous graft (AVG) stenosis in dialysis patients. Methods The patients who were successfully treated by PTA for the first time in the blood purification center of the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to June 2017, including 71 cases of AVF in the forearm, 52 cases of AVF in the upper arm and 59 cases of AVG were recorded. The data of different stenosis parts were analyzed before and after treatment and followed up for 12 months. The initial patency rate and assisted-PTA patency rate were observed at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months after ultrasound interventional therapy, and the initial patency time for patients who needed to reintervention among all types of pathways were recorded. Results The initial patency rates at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after ultrasound interventional therapy were 98.59%, 90.14%, 71.93%, 54.93% respectively in forearm AVF, 90.38%, 65.38%, 42.31%, 32.69% respectively in upper arm AVF, 91.53%, 32.20%, 6.78%, 1.69% respectively in AVG, and the PTA-assisted patency rates were 98.59%, 97.18%, 95.77%, 94.37% respectively in forearm AVF, 92.31%, 86.54%, 84.62%, 80.77% respectively in upper arm AVF, 100.00%, 98.31%, 96.61%, 93.22% respectively in AVG, while the initial patency time was (8.99±3.54) months in forearm AVF, (6.33±3.01) months in upper arm AVF, (4.80±1.40) months in AVG respectively. Conclusions Ultrasound can comprehensively evaluate the function of peripheral vascular access, guide PTA treatment, and evaluate treatment outcomes. Ultrasound intervention therapy has best initial patency rate for forearm AVF stenosis. The prognosis of upper arm AVF stenosis PTA is relatively poor due to the easy cephalic stenosis. Although AVG has a short interval of restenosis, it can achieve a better long-term patency rate through regular intervention with ultrasound intervention.