Arterial insufficiency in hemodialysis access procedures: correction by "banding" technique

Arterial insufficiency distal to an antecubital access is fortunately an infrequent but disturbing and often debilitating complication resulting in suboptimal access. During an 8 1/2-year period, 335 vascular access procedures were performed, 108 of which were antecubital brachiocephalic Gore-Tex conduits. Of these Gore-Tex conduits, 1.8% (2/108) had developed symptoms of vascular insufficiency 2 to 3 1/2 months after such access surgery. As previously published, arterial steal after the creation of an AV fistula could be corrected by the placement of an interposition Gore-Tex loop that would cure the problem and save the access. We have presented a procedure to correct a steal syndrome once a Gore-Tex conduit is already in place. Proximal banding and distal ligation with division of the cephalic vein below an end-to-side Gore-Tex loop is a simple surgical solution. It is not only curative but the procedure also maintains the existing Gore-Tex graft as a sustained avenue for access.