Endovascular techniques for the treatment of arteriovenous fistula stenosis

Brescia-Cimino pioneered the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in 1966, which has since become the preferred method of establishing vascular access for uremic patients – Healthy and smooth dialysis access is essential for effective dialysis and long-term survival – The AVF is the “lifeline” for maintenance hemodialysis patients. The arteriovenous fistula is the “lifeline” for maintenance hemodialysis patients. However, we should also see that hemodialysis access complications are one of the major expenses in the systematic treatment of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and the time of hospitalization due to dialysis access complications accounts for one quarter of the total hospitalization days of ESRD patients, and the cost of hospitalization reaches half of the total hospitalization costs, therefore, to maintain the hemodialysis access and reduce the incidence of complications of arteriovenous fistulae is a major challenge. Therefore, the maintenance of hemodialysis access and the reduction of arteriovenous endovascular fistula complications are of great significance for patients with end-stage renal disease. Common complications of arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis include: stenosis/occlusion (the main cause of arteriovenous fistula malfunction), infection, non-infectious swelling, pseudoaneurysm, venous hypertension, arterial tamponade syndrome, and high outflow cardiac insufficiency, etc., of which stenosis/occlusion is the most common clinical complication, and also the most important factor affecting the long-term patency rate of arteriovenous fistula. In the past, the main treatment for stenosis/occlusion of arteriovenous fistula is surgery, including proximal patch forming (autologous or artificial vascular endovascular fistula) in the stenosis of proximal reanastomosis (autologous endovascular fistula) using artificial blood vessels or saphenous vein to the proximal end of the normal vein to do the bypass (artificial vascular endovascular fistula), the efficacy of these methods is accurate, but the trauma is greater. In recent years, with the development of endovascular technology, endovascular technology in the treatment of stenosis/occlusion of arteriovenous fistulae has made more progress, the efficacy is accurate and less traumatic, and has gradually become the first choice of clinical treatment options, commonly used endovascular treatment options, including balloon dilatation and stent implantation and so on. Our department has already used endovascular technology to treat dozens of cases of arteriovenous fistula complications, and also achieved good clinical results.