This study provides suggestive evidence that longer duration of regular nephrological care in the predialysis period, at least for several years prior to the start of dialysis, is associated with a better long-term survival on dialysis. Such data strongly support the argument for early referral and regular nephrological care of chronic renal failure patients.

Our study affords conclusive evidence that rHuEpo therapy did not result in accelerated progression of CRF in any treated predialysis patients, nor deleterious increase in blood pressure, but instead resulted in significant slowing of progression and substantial retardation of maintenance dialysis. Such encouraging results remain to be validated in a large prospective, randomized study.

This recent epidemiological study in a large French urban area indicates an annual incidence of 100 new ESRD patients p. m.p., with a high proportion of older, vascular and diabetic patients. Overall incidence, including returns from transplantation, reached 108 p.m.p. Cardiovascular disease was significantly less frequent in patients who received nephrological care for > or =3 years prior to start of dialysis than in late referred patients, underlining the benefits of early nephrological management of renal patients.

The RADAR technique is associated with less juxta-anastomotic stenosis, increased maturation and patency, and fewer secondary interventions. These improved outcomes suggest that RADAR may be the preferred surgical technique to perform radial-cephalic arteriovenous fistula.

After acute access thrombosis, early surgical thrombectomy was associated with higher technical success and potentially improved midterm patency.