Stent Grafts Can Convert Unusable Upper Arm Arteriovenous Fistulas into a Functioning Hemodialysis Access: A Retrospective Case Series

摘要

IntroductionNot all newly created arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) successfully mature and develop into a functioning access for hemodialysis. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and balloon-assisted maturation (BAM) have been utilized to either treat flow-limiting stenoses or to promote and accelerate maturation. We hypothesized that unusable upper arm AVFs can be rescued by conversion to a functional access using the percutaneous placement of a stent graft (SG).