Use of the subcutaneous venous network of the forearm to create an arteriovenous fistula

Abstract

The reconstruction of vascular access in patients with kidney allograft failure is a challenging problem. A case of a 62-year-old man with transplanted kidney insufficiency is described. The patient was initially dialyzed with a wrist radial-cephalic arteriovenous fistula. In the post-transplantation period, the enormously dilated venous part of the anastomosis was ligated and the part of the vein suspected of being the source of bacteremia was excised. The man was referred to our department due to kidney allograft failure for vascular access creation. During preoperative assessment, we unexpectedly found a soft thrill on the forearm. Doppler ultrasound confirmed fistula patency, although the blood supply was not sufficient to perform dialysis. Angiography showed the blood flow from the radial artery to the cephalic vein, through a complicated vessel system consisting of inter alia a dilated vein of the subcutaneous venous network. We successfully used this vein as the vascular access outflow for fistula recreation. In conclusion, making use of veins of the subcutaneous venous network of the forearm for creation of a native fistula should be considered in selected cases.