High-output cardiac failure following insertion of right femoral artery to left femoral vein PTFE graft for haemodialysis: a case report.

Arteriovenous grafts used for hemodialysis can produce high-output cardiac failure as a result of shunting of blood through the dialysis access. The following case demonstrates that the problem can occur shortly after graft formation and improved with graft ligation. It caused haemodynamic compromise because of previously undiagnosed, underlying valvular heart disease. It also caused a diagnostic difficulty in the immediate postoperative period as it was mistaken for postsurgical hemorrhage.