Clinical Efficacy of the Transradial Approach in Percutaneous Intervention for a Malfunctioning Arteriovenous Fistula.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the transradial artery approach (TRA) for treating malfunctioning arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) in patients on hemodialysis.

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in this single-center study of TRA endovascular procedures in 73 patients (43 male and 30 female; mean age of 67.4 years (range, 42-92 years) with malfunctioning AVFs, between January 2008 and April 2019. Patients' baseline and lesion characteristics, technical and clinical success, and complications were evaluated, and functional patency was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: Radial artery approaches were successful in all patients. Angioplasty performed using the TRA achieved technical and clinical success rates of 98.6%(72/73) and 91.7%(67/73), respectively. The median primary patency time was 18.8 ± 15.9 months. The primary functional patency rates at 3, 6, and 12 months were 82.1%, 68.6%, and 63.9%, respectively. There were no major complications or adverse events, such as hand ischemia, related to the radial artery approach.

Conclusion: In selected cases, the TRA can be used complementary to the transvenous approach to treat malfunctioning AVFs.