Clinical significance of upper-arm cephalic vein patency in autogenous radial-cephalic wrist fistulas for hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the significance of upper-arm cephalic veins (UACVs) in radial-cephalic arteriovenous fistulas (RCAVFs), the medical records of 183 patients who had undergone RCAVF creation were reviewed retrospectively.

METHODS

The patients were divided into two groups according to the status of the UACV upon preoperative venography: group A of 153 cases (83.6%) with a patent UACV and group B of 30 cases (16.3%) with a stenosed or occluded UACV. The clinical outcomes were compared.

RESULT: RCAVFs in group B had a significantly higher maturation failure rate (26.7% vs. 9.8%, p = 0.009) and lower primary/secondary patency rates (log-rank test, p < 0.0001) than those in the group A. The patients in group B required more frequent endovascular intervention to maintain access function (p = 0.002). The most common stenosis site was a draining vein in group B, in comparison to juxta-anastomosis in group A. In the multivariate analyses, the status of the UACV was an independent predictor of the primary and secondary patency rates of RCAVFs (p < 0.005).

CONCLUSION

UACV patency has a significant impact on clinical outcome for RCAVFs. When planning an RCAVF placement, venous status including the UACV should be considered.