1.
Article
in English
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-88735
ABSTRACT
Arteriovenous shunts in the forearm of 30 patients with end-stage renal disease were converted to arteriovenous fistulae using the same, previously cannulated blood vessels. The shunts were done because these patients needed immediate dialysis. After 2-4 weeks when the cephalic veins had dilated sufficiently shunts were converted to fistulae. In 28 patients fistulae were usable within 24-48 hours without interruption of the dialysis schedule and without loss of access site. In one patient the use was delayed for 20 days while a local skin infection was treated. In another patient the fistulae did not function.