Vascular access is still the 'Achilles heel' in the haemodialysis treatment. Access-related problems account for approximately 25% of hospitalizations in haemodialysis patients. In patients lacking a suitable vascular anatomy or presenting repeated a-v fistula thrombosis due to vascular problems and/or hypotension, a permanent central venous catheter can establish a reliable long-term vascular ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Time-resolved 3D-DSA (4D-DSA) enables viewing vasculature from any desired angle and time frame. We investigated whether these advantages may facilitate treatment planning and the feasibility of using 4D-DSA as a single imaging technique in AVM/dural arteriovenous fistula radiosurgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty consecutive patients (8 dural arteriovenous fistulas and...

OBJECTIVE To describe aspects of the natural history and pathophysiology of coronary arteriovenous fistula and to propose potential treatment strategies. METHODS Eleven adult patients were treated surgically for coronary arteriovenous fistulas (8 male, 3 female) during the last three years. Mean age was 48,7 +/- 9,5 years (range 32-65 years). Diagnosis was made by coronary angiography and tra...

BACKGROUND An arteriovenous fistula is the optimal form of vascular access in patients with end-stage renal failure requiring haemodialysis. Unfortunately, approximately one-third of fistulae fail at an early stage. Different anaesthetic techniques can influence factors associated with fistula success, such as intraoperative blood flow and venous diameter. A regional anaesthetic brachial plexus...

BACKGROUND The autogenous brachiocephalic or brachiobasilic arteriovenous elbow fistula is not considered to be only the secondary haemodialysis access. In patients with an unsuitable forearm vessel bundle, it is indicated as primary access and it is the method preferred to the fistula creation using a vascular prosthesis. Its rather rare complication is the development of upper extremity ische...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Predialysis care has been associated with improved first-year outcomes. We investigated types of predialysis care associated with improved patient outcomes in patients initiating dialysis with a fistula and at least 2 years of predialysis care. METHODS In this retrospective cohort of incident hemodialysis patients with ≥2 years of Medicare coverage before dialysis initiation, ...

BACKGROUND An autogenous arteriovenous fistula is the optimal vascular access for hemodialysis. In the case of brachiocephalic fistula, cephalic arch stenosis commonly develops leading to access failure. We have hypothesized that a contribution to fistula failure is low wall shear stress resulting from post-fistula creation hemodynamic changes that occur in the cephalic arch. METHODS Twenty-t...

INTRODUCTION Coronary artery fistula consists of abnormal congenital connections between a coronary artery and cardiac chambers, a coronary vessel or an intrathoracic vessel that can be complicated by intracardiac shunts, endocarditis, myocardial infarction, or coronary aneurysms. Recent reports have emphasized the efficacy of percutaneous transcatheter techniques as an alternative to surgical ...

BACKGROUND Haemodialysis is the primary mode of renal replacement therapy for patients of end stage renal disease. The most important determinant for effective haemodialysis is a reliable vascular access. Arterio-venous (AV) fistula is the closest to be an ideal long-term haemodialysis vascular access. The creation of fistulas or grafts is recommended before starting haemodialysis, this study w...

The development of an iatrogenic vascular lesion, such a renal pseudoaneurysm or arteriovenous fistula, is a rare complication of partial nephrectomy. These lesions should be considered in patients presenting with an enhancing mass in the resection bed shortly following partial nephrectomy. Early timing following surgery, large relative size, and the presence of recurrent hematuria suggest the ...