V Grafts for Dialysis Patients
Dialysis access is an entrance into your bloodstream placed
beneath your skin. The access is usually in your arm, and less commonly
in your leg. Dialysis allows blood to be removed from your body,
filtered through a dialysis machine, and returned quickly into your
bloodstream. Dialysis, also called hemodialysis, is the most common
treatment for kidney disease. A dialysis machine is an artificial
kidney designed to remove impurities from your blood. Dialysis is
used to circulate your blood through the machine to remove the impurities
and regulate fluid and chemical balances. Creation of an access
portal for dialysis is a minor surgical procedure. There are two types of portals:
Fistula, which is created by joining an artery to a vein.
Graft, which is a man-made tube made specifically for this
purpose and connects an artery to a vein.
For both fistulas and grafts, the connection between your artery
and vein increases blood flow. In response, your vein stretches
and becomes strengthened. This allows an even greater amount of
blood to pass through the vein. In the weeks after surgery, a fistula
begins to mature. The vein increases in size and may look like a
cord under your skin. The whole process of maturation typically
takes from two to six months. Once the fistula matures, it should
be large and strong enough for dialysis technicians and nurses to
insert the needles directly into the access to achieve your dialysis.
A man-made dialysis graft can typically be used in one to two weeks,
when it has healed sufficiently. Grafts are preferable in patients
who have very small veins or in patients who have had significant
scarring of their veins due to previous IVs.
When your own veins are suitable, fistulas are preferred to grafts
because they are constructed using your own tissue, which is more
durable and resistant to infection. Fistulas are also less likely
to form clots.
For more information, please call Savannah
Vascular Institute at 912-350-VEIN (8346) or 1-866-359-VEIN (8346).
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