TY - JOUR T1 - Is ultrasound follow-up necessary in humero-axillary prosthetic arteriovenous fistulas for haemodialysis? JO - Nefrología (English Edition) T2 - AU - Hernando Rydings,Manuel AU - HERNANDO RYDINGS,MANUEL AU - MOÑUX DUCAJU,GUILLERMO AU - Moñux-Ducaju,Guillermo AU - MARTINEZ LOPEZ,ISAAC AU - Martínez-López,Isaac AU - RIAL HORCAJO,RODRIGO AU - Rial-Horcajo,Rodrigo AU - Martínez-Izquierdo,Antonio AU - MARTINEZ IZQUIERDO,ANTONIO AU - GONZALEZ SANCHEZ,SARA AU - González-Sánchez,Sara AU - SERRANO HERNANDO,FRANCISCO JAVIER AU - Serrano-Hernando,Francisco J. SN - 20132514 M3 - 10.3265/Nefrologia.pre2012.Jan.11221 DO - 10.3265/Nefrologia.pre2012.Jan.11221 UR - https://revistanefrologia.com/en-is-ultrasound-follow-up-necessary-in-articulo-X2013251412001536 AB - Aim: To evaluate the impact of a specific vascular access (arteriovenous fistula) unit (AVF-U) and intensive follow-up controls on the patency of humero-axillary fistulas (Hax-AVF). Patients and method: Retrospective study. Between January 2005 and December 2009, 108 Hax-AVF were implanted. From June 2007 an AVF-U was established. A preoperative Doppler ultrasonography analysis was performed and a follow-up control carried out a month after the intervention and subsequently every 3 months. Results: An analysis was made of the patency of 57 Hax-AVF performed between June 2007 and December 2009 (AVF-U Group), in comparison to 51 interventions performed during the previous 30 months (Control Group). No differences in the patency achieved were found at 12 or 24 months, with a secondary permeability at 12 months of 49% in the AVF-U Group and 52% in the Control Group. The percentage of patients needing to be reoperated was lower in the AVF-U Group (35%) than in the Control Group (67%) (P=.02). The mean number of re-operations per patient was lower in the AVF-U Group than in the Control Group (0.49 vs 1.18; P=.01). The patients of the AVF-U Group underwent fewer reoperations for obstruction as compared to the Control Group (0.42 vs 1.04; P=.01). Conclusions: In our experience, the intensive follow-up controls did not improve the patency of the Hax-AVF, although reoperations due to obstruction did diminish. The follow-up of these fistulas should be clinically based on haemodialysis data, leaving ultrasound evaluation for those cases where AVF failure is suspected. ER -