Effectiveness of Using Autologous Saphenous Vein as Arteriovenous Graft for Patients With Chronic Wounds Undergoing Hemodialysis.

Abstract

Although the first choice of vascular access for hemodialysis is still the creation of an arteriovenous fistula, the increasing number of vascular access creations in Japan, as well as the inability of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty to effectively restore patency in stenotic and obstructed native vascular accesses, has resulted in an increase in the rate of arteriovenous grafting for hemodialysis. However, for patients with infected wounds, using a prosthetic graft is generally contraindicated because of the risk of the spread of infection. In such cases, options tend to be limited to less frequently used or novel methods of vascular hemodialysis access, such as basilic vein transposition and autologous vein transplantation. Herein, we report 3 successful cases of arteriovenous grafting using an autologous saphenous vein. Careful preoperative evaluation of the vascular anatomy is necessary to effectively determine the best option for vascular access in such patients.