What are the complications of an arteriovenous fistula?
The most important complications of fistulae for HD are lymphedema, infection, aneurysm, stenosis, congestive heart failure, steal syndrome, ischemic neuropathy and thrombosis. In HD patients, the most common cause of vascular access failure is neointimal hyperplasia.
What are the options for a patient with AV fistula failure?
Angioplasty With or Without Stenting If a narrowing or blockage is causing your fistula to fail, an angioplasty is another type of procedure used to open up the blood vessels and restore blood flow. This procedure is most often performed under conscious or moderate sedation in an outpatient ambulatory vascular center.
How can you prevent AV fistula complications?
Caring for your AV fistula or AV graft
- keep your vascular access clean at all times.
- Look for signs of infection, such as:
- Avoid putting pressure on your access area by:
- For routine blood tests, ask for your blood to be taken from your other arm (whichever arm does not have your vascular access in it).
What is the most common cause of late fistula loss?
Stenosis is the number one cause of dysfunction in an arteriovenous (AV) fistula. (i) Evidence suggests that stenosis causes 78 percent of all cases of early AV fistula failure and is also the most common cause of late AV fistula failure after three months.
What causes clotting during hemodialysis?
Mechanical Reduction of Blood Flow The most common cause of increased clotting in the extracorporeal circuit during hemodialysis is re- duction in blood flow, usually the result of mechan- ical abnormalities in the vascular access or in the extracorporeal circuit itself (3, 4).
Why does my AV fistula hurt?
This is usually caused by a needle coming out of the vessel into the tissue (called ‘bumping’) or by not pressing firmly when your needle is removed. Bruising and swelling can also occur if you move your arm around during dialysis, however bruising and swelling is much less likely to occur as the fistula matures.
How serious is a fistula for dialysis?
An AV fistula generally lasts longer and has fewer complications than other dialysis access options, such as a venous catheter or AV graft. Complications are still possible and may become serious or life threatening in some cases.
What are arteriovenous shunts?
Arteriovenous shunts are abnormal connections between coronary arteries and a compartment of the venous side of the heart. The abnormal connection may originate in the right or left coronary artery, or, more rarely, multiple shunts originating in both arteries may be present.
What are the complications of AV fistula?
The prognosis of an uncomplicated AV fistula is usually good. Post-catheterization AV fistulas are not generally life-threatening and close spontaneously. They are associated with serious complications such as high output cardiac failure with a large AV fistula, aneurysm degeneration of the artery, and limb edema.
Are AV fistulas permanent?
Fistulas are the preferred type of access because it utilizes the patient’s own vessels and does not require permanent placement of foreign materials such as those needed to create an AV graft or catheter. The AV fistula, formed by the patient’s own vessels, is less infection-prone than a catheter, is less likely than a graft to have problems with clotting and provides good blood flow that can last for decades.
What is an AV fistula?
An arteriovenous (AV) fistula is an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein. Normally, blood flows from your arteries to your capillaries to your veins.