Heart insufficiency in traumatic arteriovenous fistulas

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the incidence, clinical presentation, and outcome of heart insufficiency in patients with chronic arteriovenous fistulas (AVF).Methodology: From 1991 to 2000 we treated 49 patients with traumatic AVF. The present study included 19 patients with AVF present for 6 months or longer, as it was presumed that these AVF will have an impact on cardiac overload. There were 16 male and three female patients with a mean age of 36 years (17–59). The time from injury to admission varied from 6 months to 33 years. Cardiological examination checked for dyspnoea and palpitation. ECG, chest X‐ray and ECHO‐cardiography were also performed. All AVF were deleted, magistral vessels reconstructed, non‐magistral obliterated, either surgically or by percutaneous embolization.Results: Mean follow up was 44.2 months (3–93). Serious heart insufficiency was seen in two patients only, with AVF in the subclavial vessels. Both suffered from serious heart disease prior to the therapeutic procedures that resulted in iatrogenic AVF, so it was difficult to connect heart insufficiency to the AVF alone. Despite surgical closure of AVF and intensive medical treatment, signs of heart insufficiency remained in both patients. Signs of cardiac overload were seen in six patients with long‐standing AVF in major vessels. Except for one patient who refused surgical closure of femoral AVF, the remaining five were symptom free for cardiac overload during the follow‐up period.Conclusion: In our series, heart insufficiency was an infrequent complication in long‐standing AVF, even when major vessels were involved.