Percutaneous intervention for restoration of patency of occluded lower limb arteriovenous dialysis access

Background: Arteriovenous (AV) fistula thrombosis is a serious complication in patients undergoing hemodialysis, often presenting with symptoms of venous hypertension, failure to dialysis and uremic symptoms. Treatment is aimed to provide symptomatic relief and to maintain hemodialysis access site patency. Aim: To describe our initial experience in the endovascular treatment of lower limb AV dialysis access (AV fistula) thrombosis and/or obstruction in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Settings and design: This was a retrospective study carried out in a tertiary care center. Study duration was 24 months. Follow-up was variable. Materials and methods: Two patients with chronic kidney disease with stage 5 renal failure undergoing hemodialysis presented with lower limb arteriovenous dialysis access (arteriovenous fistula) failure between July 2014 and September 2016. Both the patients underwent endovascular treatment and were analyzed retrospectively. Results and conclusion: Both the patient underwent successful endovascular treatment for the failure of the lower limb AV dialysis access thrombosis and/or obstruction. One patient had minimal dye extravasation during manipulation of the guide wire, which ceased spontaneously. On follow-up, both patients maintained patency of the dialysis access and are undergoing successful hemodialysis. One patient had a recurrence of the thrombosis of the fistula at 9th month of the follow-up. Endovascular treatment was tried but we could not succeed. However, we found endovascular treatment safe and effective in treating AV fistula failures. Keywords: Endovascular, Hemodialysis, Angioplasty, AV fistula, Saphenofemoral fistula