Health Care Disparities Involved In Establishing Functional Hemodialysis Vascular Access

Abstract

In some patients, arteriovenous (AV) fistulas and AV grafts mature quickly after the initial surgery and can last for several years. In other patients, AV sites never fully mature, or patients may require additional surgical interventions. Health care disparities in cardiovascular disease among racial groups is well-documented, and it was suspected that racial backgrounds may influence patient risk for requiring additional surgeries in order to reach AV access maturity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of racial demographics on risk of patients requiring additional surgical interventions after their first fistula or graft creation surgery.