Long-Term Experience of Arterio-Venous Fistula Surgery in Children on Hemodialysis

Abstract

Background: Arterio-venous fistulas (AVF) are used as first-line access for hemodialysis (HD) in the pediatric population. The aim of this investigation was to describe a single-center experience in the creation of AVF, together with its patency in children. Methods: This single-center retrospective study included all patients aged ≤18 years with AVFs created between 1993 and 2023. The collected data included patients’ demographics, hemodialysis history, intraoperative data, and required reinterventions in order to determine the impact of these variables on primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency. Results: Fifty-seven patients were analyzed with a median age of 15 years (range, 7–18 years). Fifty-four forearm and four upper arm fistulas were performed. The median follow-up was 6.9 years (range, 0–23 years). The primary failure rate was 10.5%. The primary patency rate was 67.6%, 53.6%, 51.4%, and 38.1% after 1, 3, 5, and 10 years; primary-assisted patency was 72.9%, 62.8%, 60.6%, and 41.5%; and secondary patency was 87.3%, 81.3%, 76.8%, and 66.6% after 1, 3, 5, and 10 years in the studied population. Conclusions: AVFs showed an acceptable rate of primary failure and excellent long-term patency. In this context, AVFs are an appropriate option for HD access, especially in pediatric patients.