[Distal complications of therapeutic arteriovenous fistulae (author's transl)].

Having observed 4 personal cases, the authors review the distal complications of therapeutic arteriovenous fistulaes. Ischaemic complications are of arterial origin and may be severe: strong pain increasing during dialysis, soft tissue trophic disorders and ulcerations, and functional sequelae. Venous stasis disappear without permanent damage. The carpal tunnel syndrome is of uncertain and probably mixed aetiology and can easily be cured by surgical decompression. The use of small calibre, termino-terminal or latero-terminal distal anastomoses should help to prevent these complications.