Patency and venous pressure of arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis.

The early patency of arteriovenous fistulas created for hemodialysis is affected by various factors, including venous stenosis. We conducted a study to investigate the effect of venous stenosis on early patency by examining perioperative arterial and venous pressures of the fistula. Among the 15 patients selected for the study, 11 had snuff-box fistulas, 3 Brescia-Cimino, and 1 brachial. A thrill was palpable over the anastomosis in 10 patients and absent in 5 patients. In terms of venous pressure, the patients with a thrill had a mean systolic pressure of 35.8 mm Hg and systolic-diastolic pressure gradient of 3.4 mm Hg. In the patients without a thrill, the values were 102.6 mm Hg and 42.8 mm Hg, respectively. In conclusion, patients with venous obstruction in the fistula had a much higher venous pressure than those with a patent fistula. If venous stenosis is suspected, measurement of fistula pressures may be useful for determining the early patency of arteriovenous fistulas.