Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Vascular, Ultrasound physics, Eyes, Ultrasound-Colour Doppler, Ultrasound, Efficacy studies, Venous access, Fistula, Infection
Authors:
G. G. Leal, G. A. Averanga Ticona, L. Palacios, Y. P. Narváez Rojas, J. Crosta, F. A. Abramzon; Buenos aires/AR
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-1756
Background
An arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for hemodialysis is a communication generated surgically between a vein and an artery.
Fig. 1: Patient in treatment with hemodialysis of 1 year of evolution, with functioning arteriovenous fistula. It can be visualized the venous dilatations proper to the maturation of the fistula.
Frequently they're performed on the upper limbs,
although when they fail,
they can sometimes be seen in the lower limbs.
Surgeons try to make it as distal as possible in the non-dominant arm.
By this way,
the proximal vessels are preserved for future access.
Arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) are the method of choice for vascular access for patients in renal replacement therapy.
A permeable vascular access is the key to ensure adequate hemodialysis.
The dialysis population has comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus,
coronary disease and peripheral arterial disease,
among other pathologies,
making the creation and permanence of fistulas difficult.
Fig. 2: Ultrasound of arteriovenous fistula.
It is a short, autologous fistula, at the level of the elbow. The arterial and venous anastomoses, as well as the course of the fistula can be recognized. The color scale is high, noticing a high velocity flow.