{"id":1356,"date":"2024-09-17T02:31:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T09:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.empirevein.com\/?page_id=1356"},"modified":"2025-05-30T03:38:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T10:38:35","slug":"fistula-for-dialysis","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/empirevein.com\/en\/vascular-services\/fistula-for-dialysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Fistula for Dialysis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dialysis is a treatment recommended for people who have been diagnosed with kidney failure and have little kidney function. The goal of dialysis is to take over some of the kidneys\u2019 vital functions, including filtering waste products and regulating certain chemicals in the blood. When patients require long-term hemodialysis, doctors need a method to connect the patient to the dialysis machine to allow the blood to be filtered. An arteriovenous (AV) fistula<\/a> is often the preferred method for this connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is Dialysis & Why is a Fistula Needed?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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There are two primary types of dialysis: peritoneal and hemodialysis. Peritoneal dialysis involves a surgically placed tube in the abdomen, through which dialysis fluids are introduced, allowed to dwell, and then drained, removing waste products. Hemodialysis, on the other hand, removes blood through a needle, cleanses it by passing it through a dialysis machine, and then returns the purified blood to the body via a second needle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frequent treatments require reliable blood access. Since most people need dialysis a few times per week, repeated needle punctures can be very hard on the veins and arteries. An AV fistula for dialysis creates a strong, reliable access point for these frequent treatments. It helps protect your veins from collapsing during repeated treatments. Arteries carry blood at high pressure away from the heart into every part of the body, while veins collect blood and carry it at low pressure back to the heart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Steps for Creating a Fistula<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To prepare for long-term dialysis, a reliable access point is crucial. Attaching the artery to the vein causes the vein to balloon out as high-pressure blood flows directly into it from the artery. About six weeks after this operation, the vein grows tougher and thicker. <\/em>The stronger vein can better handle the needles needed for dialysis, making the process smoother and safer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your nephrologist (kidney doctor) determines that dialysis will be necessary in the near future based on multiple factors, such as lab values, they will recommend having the fistula or graft procedure. This is because the fistula can take up to six weeks to mature \u2013 meaning it takes that amount of time for the vein to become larger and thicker and be ready for dialysis.<\/p>\n\n\n