Primary vascular access for hemodialysis treatment : a comparative study of autogenous radial-cephalic and prosthetic graft arteriovenous fistulas

A well functioning vascular access is necessary for successful hemodialysis treatment (a therapy that replaces the kidney function). Vascular access can be created with an arteriovenous fistula (AVF), a connection between a coronary artery and a vein. The risk of treatment failure increases, however, if the patient has small or bad vessels. In that case an arteriovenous graft (AVG), an artificial blood vessel that is subcutaneously attached between a coronary artery and a vein, can be a solution. Research in this dissertation shows that, looking at the life span, patients with bad vessels indeed benefit from placing an artificial AVG as vascular access for dialysis

Preventing AVF thrombosis: the rationale and design of the Omega-3 fatty acids (Fish Oils) and Aspirin in Vascular access OUtcomes in REnal Disease (FAVOURED) study

Background: Haemodialysis (HD) is critically dependent on the availability of adequate access to the systemic circulation, ideally via a native arteriovenous fistula (AVF). The Primary failure rate of an AVF ranges between 20-54%, due to thrombosis or failure of maturation. There remains limited evidence for the use of anti-platelet agents and uncertainty as to choice of agent(s) for the prevention of AVF thrombosis. We present the study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial examining whether the use of the anti-platelet agents, aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids, either alone or in combination, will effectively reduce the risk of early thrombosis in de novo AVF