Percutaneous Creation of Dialysis Arteriovenous Fistula: Patient Selection and Ultrasound Mapping.

Abstract

Approximately, 550,000 patients with end-stage kidney disease rely on maintenance dialysis in the United States, and nearly 90% receive hemodialysis.[1] Providing hemodialysis requires a conduit to the bloodstream (vascular access) that can reliably deliver a high blood flow into the extracorporeal dialysis circuit. A surgical arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is created by a direct surgical anastomosis between a peripheral artery and vein. AVFs are considered the preferred type of vascular access, because they have better survival and require fewer interventions to maintain long-term patency for dialysis, once they are successfully cannulated for dialysis.[2] [3] [4]