Patients with a chronic kidney disease who opt for hemodialysis, needs a well-functioning hemodialysis access. The autologous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the golden standard of dialysis access. Unfortunately a great number of the AVFs fail to mature, and therefore cannot be used for dialysis. A significant stenosis is a major cause of nonmaturing AVFs.~Remarkable are the stenoses that seem to develop in the venous outflow tract where the vascular clamp was located during surgery. The primary aim of this study was to compare bloodless surgery using vascular clamps and a tourniquet with respect to the development of hemodynamic or anatomical significant stenosis in patients with a brachiocephalic or radiocephalic AVF.
Patients with a chronic kidney disease who opt for hemodialysis, needs a well-functioning hemodialysis access. The autologous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is recognized as the golden standard of dialysis access. Unfortunately a great number of the AVFs fail to mature, and therefore cannot be used for dialysis. A significant stenosis is a major cause of nonmaturing AVFs. Remarkable are the stenoses that seem to develop in the venous outflow tract where the vascular clamp was located during surgery. The primary aim of this study was to compare bloodless surgery using vascular clamps and a tourniquet with respect to the development of hemodynamic or anatomical significant stenosis in patients with a brachiocephalic or radiocephalic AVF.