Regional Anesthesia for Arteriovenous Fistula Creation Significantly Increases Venous Diameter

Preoperative vein and artery mapping with duplex ultrasound (DUS) is a standard practice to assess the size and depth of vessels being considered for use in arteriovenous (AV) access creation for hemodialysis. Data from the preoperative vein mapping study assists the surgeon to formulate an operative plan. Care is taken when selecting a site for AV access to maximize patency rates with the use of a single access configuration, provide more options for access sites and minimize the number of interventions patients undergo.
Source: Annals of Vascular Surgery - Category: Surgery Authors: Source Type: research