Axillary artery to right atrium shunt for hemodialysis access in a patient with advanced central vein thrombosis: a case report.

Central venous thrombosis presents a challenge to the treatment of hemodialysis patients requiring vascular access. We present the case of a patient with renal failure and virulent thrombophilia causing severe central venous thrombosis. We discuss the use of a hemodialysis shunt from the right axillary artery to the right atrium and describe the technical details and the pitfalls encountered in our utilization of this technique.