Arteriovenous Fistulas Made in Pediatric Haemodialysis Patients with Microsurgery

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of patency of A-V fistulas created by a single surgeon with microsurgery in childhood hemodialysis patients.

MATERIAL and METHODS: The age, gender, complications and time of patency were examined in children whose A-V fistula created with microsurgery between February 2001 and December 2009.

RESULTS: In this study, 27 of 47 patients were male and the other 20 patients were female, with a mean age 10±3 years. A total of 62 fistulae were performed on 47 patients. A second fistula was created in 13 patients and a third fistula was created in only 1 patient. Embolectomy was carried out in 2 patients in the short term due to occlusion and the patency of the fistula continued. Six fistulae (9.7%) never functioned while 56 fistulae (90.3%) functioned but 9 (15%) became occluded after a while and needed a second fistula creation. The mean function time of the fistulae was 9±16 months. A significant correlation was found between the A-V fistula function time and the age of the patients (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Microsurgery can increase the function time of A-V fistulae in childhood hemodialyis patients.