The goal for arteriovenous (AV) hemodialysis access should always be to increase AV fistula prevalence, since AV fistulas provide patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD) with a dialysis access with the lowest morbidity and mortality rates and the best long-term patency.
Fistula types are classified as: simple direct — a straightforward fistula since the vein and the artery are used in their normal positions; vein transposition — the vein is moved or transposed to a position that better suits the construction of a fistula; and vein translocation — the vein is removed from its normal anatomical location to another, according to how the fistula is created.
Brachio-basilic, which is the brachial artery and the basilic vein and tends to be used primarily in patients who have previously had multiple failed access procedures.
According to the clinical practice guidelines of the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Quality Outcomes Initiative (NKF-KDOQI), the order of preference for the creation of AV fistulas is radio-cephalic, brachio-cephalic, and then brachio-basilic transposition.
Created by anastomosing the upper arm cephalic vein to the brachial artery in the antecubital fossa or just above the elbow.
Easier to create than a brachio-basilic fistula because it requires less dissection.
Easy to cannulate due to its lateral and relatively superficial location.
Providing a long length of straight vein from which to select cannulation sites.
Offering the potential for a higher blood flow than the radio-cephalic fistula.
Showing a slightly higher incidence of vascular steal syndrome.
Often better preserved and less involved with postphlebitic changes than the cephalic vein, because the basilic vein is more deeply positioned and therefore usually less accessible for venipuncture.
Requiring more experience for successful creation: the vein must be elevated and transposed to make it usable as a haemodialysis access.
Associated with higher morbidity rates related to its creation.
Presenting a less potential cannulation length to work with.
AV fistulas are considered the most preferred vascular access method for dialysis treatment.
Of the three basic types, the radio-cephalic is the most recommended, followed by the brachio-cephalic, and, only if the other two are not possible, the brachio-basilic.
The VasQ product is designed to improve maturation and patency rates of brachio-cephalic fistulas.