Transluminal angioplasty versus conventional operation in the treatment of haemodialysis fistula stenosis: results from a 5-year study.

In this retrospective study we have used life table analysis to compare the results of 37 transluminal angioplasties with those of 37 conventional operations (thrombectomy, thrombendarterectomy with/without grafting, bypass) in the treatment of stenoses and occlusions of haemodialysis fistulae. There was no difference between the groups in terms of lesion morphology or the patients' age and sex. Cumulative patency rates for angioplasty and surgery, respectively, were 94.5 and 78.1 per cent after 1 week, 72.3 and 64.1 per cent after 1 month, 41.2 and 28.9 per cent after 5 months and 31.3 and 19.3 per cent after 1 year (X2 test, P less than 0.001). The difference is due mainly to a high percentage of early occlusions in the haemodialysis fistula stenoses is possible it achieves results which are at least as good as those of operation.