Clinical Study of Brachial Vein Transposition Fistulas for Hemodialysis

(Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Kurobe City Hospital, Kurobe, Japan)

Hiroshi Urayama
Brachial vein transposition fistulas for hemodialysis are embloyed when the superficial veins in arms are not used. In our hospital, 28 patients have received brachial vein transposition fistula in the past 13 years. Post-operative complications were bleeding at the puncture sites in 2 patients, infection at the puncture site in 1, and aneurysm formation in the transposed vein in 1. Access related hand ischemia and venous hypertension were not recognized. For 3 patients of fistula stenosis, percutaneous catheter dilatation was performed. For 2 of 19 patients with fistula occlusion, surgical thrombectomy was performed. The primary patency rates were 76.8% at 1 year and 55.8% at 4 years. The secondary patency rates were 95.5% at 1 year and 66.3% at 4 years. The brachial vein transposition procedure is useful for long-term continuation of hemodialysis using autologous arm vessels.
  Jpn. J. Cardiovasc. Surg. 41:67-69(2012)

Keywords:brachial vein, brachial artery, blood access, vein transposition, long-term results