Dialysis vascular access stenosis and its endovascular management

Abstract

One form of renal replacement therapy, dialysis mimics the kidneys' filtration of blood. Toxins, excess water, and solutes can be removed from the body with the use of artificial devices. Hemodialysis (HD) is the most common method for dialysis in Egypt caused by a higher potential for infection with peritoneal dialysis and due to wide availability of HD centers. Central venous catheters, either tunneled or non-tunneled, are very important in cases of urgent HD, temporary access till maturation of arterio-venous fistula (AVF) that may take up to two months or in cases when AVF and arterio-venous graft (AVG) seem unsuitable or contraindicated. The two main ways in which arteriovenous fistulas and grafts are formed are by the direct connection of veins to arteries or by the use of a synthetic graft. This sets up a circuit with a high flow rate, which makes hemodialysis percutaneous cannulation easier.