This meta-analysis found an increased risk of radial-cephalic fistula failure in elderly patients and significant benefit from the creation of proximal autologous brachiocephalic fistulas. If confirmed by further prospective studies, these differences should be considered when planning a vascular access in incident elderly patients.

Endovascular stent graft repair of AEF was associated with a high incidence of infection or recurrent bleeding postoperatively. Evidence of sepsis preoperatively was indicating poor outcome.

Lower-extremity vascular access has acceptable results in terms of patency, with femoral vein transposition having better patency rates than femoral grafts. Autologous access is associated with less infective complications, however, at the expense of increased ischaemic complications rates. Further research with randomised trials is required to assess the outcomes of lower-extremity vascular access.

Surgical revision of complicated false and true AVA-related aneurysms reveals acceptable postintervention primary patency rates and therefore is justified. This outcome measure was superior in the following specific groups of corrections: autogenous were better than prosthetic, true aneurysms were better than false aneurysms, patients with one or two previous AVAs in the revised arm were better than those with more than two previous accesses in the revised arm, and finally, forearms were better than those in the upper arm.

Severe steal develops immediately following AV bridge grafting and patients should be closely monitored during the first 24 h; surveillance is not indicated beyond 1 month. In contrast, steal following formation of proximal autogenous fistulae may be either of immediate or of 'late' onset, months or years after the creation of the fistulae, and lifelong monthly surveillance is recommended. Close monitoring is also recommended after any subsequent surgical or interventional correcting procedure for all access types. DRIL is the procedure of choice in limb-threatening severe steal.

No abstract

Aortic endograft infection is a rare complication after EVAR. Surgical treatment with complete explantation of the infected endograft seems to be the optimal management in selected patients. Supportive medical treatment without surgical intervention has a significant associated mortality.

Early (12 months) results suggest similar clinical performance of the Endurant stent graft system in endovascular treatment of AAAs with friendly and hostile anatomies, however, demonstrating more intra- and perioperative adversities for the last group. Larger prospective studies or even randomized trials comparing different new generation graft models are required to evaluate the comparable long-term results and possible expansion of EVAR indications for this specific endograft in adverse anatomies.